Zalando SE announced that its supervisory board has nominated Peter Sarlin, a European pioneer in machine learning and artificial intelligence, for election as a supervisory board member at the annual general meeting on 12 May 2026. Sarlin, founder of Silo AI—Europe's largest private AI lab acquired by AMD in 2024—brings dedicated AI expertise to the board as Zalando scales AI innovations across its business to drive growth and efficiency.
Sarlin is also chairperson of the board at NestAI and Qutwo, and a professor of practice at Aalto University specializing in machine learning and AI. He will succeed Susanne Schroter-Crossan, who steps down at the end of the AGM. The supervisory board thanked Schroter-Crossan for her contributions to the company's strategic development.
Data, machine learning, and AI have been central to Zalando since its founding in 2008. The company is now leveraging its unique data and infrastructure platform—including Europe's richest fashion-specific data set and leading logistics fulfillment network—with AI to enhance operations and provide customers and partners with advanced experiences. Zalando is embracing agentic commerce to create lifestyle agents that understand customers' contexts and proactively serve their fashion and lifestyle needs. The company is evolving its Zalando Assistant into a personal lifestyle companion and already partners with Sarlin's Qutwo, one of Europe's most ambitious AI labs.
“Peter will play a crucial role in governing and scaling our AI innovations further as we unlock tremendous value for our customers, our partners, and our business. He is an AI pioneer, and we are excited to work with him to embrace the tremendous opportunities ahead of us,” said Kelly Bennett, chairperson of the supervisory board. Bennett also expressed gratitude to Schroter-Crossan for her service.
The full invitation to the annual general meeting 2026 is available at corporate.zalando.com. Zalando, founded in Berlin in 2008, is the leading European technology platform for fashion and lifestyle, connecting 62 million active customers with more than 7,000 brands across 29 markets. The company's multi-app approach—including Zalando, ABOUT YOU, and Lounge by Zalando—delivers personalized shopping experiences, while its ZEOS, Tradebyte, and SCAYLE offerings open logistics, software, and service capabilities to brands and retailers. For more information, visit corporate.zalando.com/en.
