Zooplus appoints new heads of Merchandising and Product teams

Bethlen and Cruickshank have also been appointed to the pet e-commerce platform’s executive committee.

Alejandro Bethlen

Alejandro Bethlen will oversee the development of Zooplus’ brand portfolio, supplier relations, and sourcing. 

His role covers international accounts, local champion brands, and own brands across food, accessories, and services, and he will work toward further improving Zooplus in Europe’s pet supplies sector. 

Bethlen has many years of international management experience in various industries, including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and e-commerce. During his career, he has held various leadership positions in multinational companies such as Procter & Gamble and was responsible for several mainstream brands in the US and Latin America. 

His career also includes a stint at Amazon, where he served as General Manager for AmazonFlex Europe & Asia, the company’s last-mile delivery service. 

Before Zooplus, Bethlen was CEO of The Bouqs Company, an e-commerce flower delivery service in the US.

Jim Cruickshank

Cruickshank will lead the company’s product portfolio and seek to transform the company’s customer platforms. 

He will also build on Zooplus’ user experience and develop products and interfaces with a customer-centric focus. 

Cruickshank has more than 20 years of digital product leadership and management experience. Most recently, he was VP of Global Digital Development & Retail Technology at Pandora, a jewelry company. Before that, he was the Global Director of Digital Product & UX at Marks & Spencer, a British multinational retailer. 

His previous roles include Director of Product Management at Microsoft, where he led the Bing, MSN Shopping, and Travel product teams.  

Geoffroy Lefebvre, CEO of Zooplus, said the appointments will accelerate the company’s growth and strengthen its position as the “leading pet eCommerce platform” in Europe.