Zooplus appoints ex Tom&Co chief as CEO

The European online retailer zooplus has appointed Lionel Desclée as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Management Board, starting 15 September.

The company says Desclée joins zooplus at a “pivotal time” as the company strengthens its focus on market leadership and customer relationships. At the beginning of this year, zooplus’ owners decreased its valuation. 

“Lionel combines deep sector knowledge with a customer-first mindset. His leadership experience across retail and pet care, and his track record in driving digital growth, make him the right choice to guide zooplus into its next chapter,” says Stefan Goetz and Johannes Reichel on behalf of the Supervisory Board.

The executive arrives at the German-based company after serving as a non-executive board member at the Belgian pet retailer Tom&Co for 9 years, as CEO of the British digital retailer The Very Group for almost 2 years, and as President and CEO of Walmart Japan for 2.5 years.

Desclée says he is “energized by the opportunity.” “zooplus has built a trusted platform at the heart of the pet ecosystem. I look forward to working with the team to realize zooplus’ full potential as the leading destination for pet families across Europe.” He will replace Geoffroy Lefebvre, who was appointed CEO in November 2022.  

Slow growth

In January, the company drew attention after reports that its private equity owners were exploring a potential sale. According to German media reports, the e-commerce player was facing slow growth and declining profit projections.

Competing firms Hellman & Friedman (H&F) and EQT jointly acquired zooplus for €3.7 billion ($3.8B) in 2021, removing the company from the stock market. The deal was valued at 58 times its operating profit (by EBITDA).

According to reports, if a sale isn’t successful, the owners are considering taking it back to the stock market with an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2026.