Pieces of Me - An Inside Zalando podcast

Daniel Motino, Senior Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at Zalando, joins Janine Matos for a powerful conversation about identity, inclusion, and personal growth. In this moving episode of Pieces of Me , Daniel shares his journey in Diversity & Inclusion, highlighting how both visible and invisible parts of individual identity shape our experiences at work. From building support systems to le...

Gare Anighoro, Design Ops Manager at Zalando, joins Janine Matos to explore how community-building fuels creativity, connection, and career growth. In this episode, Gare shares how rituals such as “the Design Bonfire” and “Scrappy Demos” create opportunities for inspiration and collaboration. By inviting designers to share unfinished work and offer feedback, organisations can break down internal s...

Darija Bräuniger, Principal, Public Affairs DACH at Zalando, joins Janine to explains the role of a public affairs specialist in business and its impact in shaping business strategy. Although many of us misunderstand what’s meant by public affairs, Darija unpacks how her team focuses on communicating a company’s interests to politicians and how this differs from stakeholder communications.  She sh...

Sara Spannar, VP of Global Marketing at Zalando, joins Janine Matos to explore the power of purpose, simplicity and empowerment in marketing fashion and lifestyle brands. Janine and Sara dive into a wide ranging conversation covering Sara’s personal perspective on her career to the marketing philosophies and strategies drive her work. They discuss the evolving landscape of fashion and lifestyle e-...

Morgane Telling, Acting Team Lead Localisation Manager at Zalando, joins Janine to explain language and localisation in international business, and the importance of human connection in a tech-driven environment. Morgane explains her role and why localisation is key to Zalando’s success across diverse markets.  The conversation covers everything from understanding customer to how AI is supporting,...

Rebekka Beels, Head of Engineering at Zalando, joins Janine Matos for a wide-ranging conversation covering leadership, vulnerability, and what’s required to build inclusive, high-performing teams in tech. Rebekka shares her perspective on what it takes to lead engineering at scale; aligning technical strategy with company goals while fostering a culture of personal ownership and team support. The...

Astrid Arndt, Chief People Officer at Zalando, joins Janine Matos to discuss leadership, workplace culture, and personal growth. Astrid explains her role in helping to shape Zalando’s culture, focusing on the importance of talent attraction, colleague retention, and understanding customer needs. The conversation also covers insights into long-term strategy, shifts in customer behaviour, and even T...

Gregory Crawford, Chief Economist at Zalando, joins Janine to explain the importance of economists within large, modern businesses and how experimentation and data are the key to business success. Gregory starts by unpacking how his expertise and experience as an economist benefits Zalando, where he provides data-driven guidance to refine customer experience.  Gregory also explains the objective o...

Christoph Gädeke , Senior Manager of Culture and New Work at Zalando, joins Janine Matos to explore the future of work and evolving workplace culture. First up, Christoph shares insights into the complexities and benefits of hybrid work models, emphasising the importance of flexibility in today’s workplace. He explains the impact of the pandemic in reshaping work culture, highlighting the need for...

In this episode, Janine sits down with Elizabeth Carttar, Head of Sustainability at Zalando, to discuss the company’s ambitious sustainability goals and how we all need to help build a more responsible fashion industry. With Zalando pushing for net zero emissions by 2050, Elizabeth explains the crucial role of circularity in extending the life cycle of fashion products. The episode covers fashion’...

In this episode Janine Matos sits down with Jennifer von Walderdorff, Senior Finance Manager at Zalando, to discuss the impact of financial analysis and modelling for Zalando, their partners and customers. The episode not only gives us a top-down view of the e-commerce industry and how Zalando’s business partnerships work, but also covers Jennifer’s passion for sustainable fashion and mindful shop...

In this episode, Janine talks to Hacinta Naidoo, Head of D&I, Strategy and Governance at Zalando. They delve into the critical issue of diversity in organisations and how representation is essential when it comes to creating a sense of belonging and aspiration for colleagues. Hacinta explains what a decentralised D&I strategy means at Zalando and how that leads to greater collaboration and...

Nina Trofimova, Team Lead Global Corporate Communications at Zalando, joins Janine to explain her role and give a glimpse into how the Corporate Affairs team communicates the company’s story to the world. Nina talks us through her career to date, moving across Europe and transforming her personal interest in fashion into her professional choices. She explains how Corporate Affairs tells Zalando’s...

Antonis Vasilopoulos, Head of Product Assortment and Steering at Partner Tech, joins Janine to discuss how he and his team use data to shape the way we shop online. He explains the complex processes that helps manage the Zalando assortment, estimate future demand, and even sales trends as well as the tools and algorithms used to help deliver maximum impact for brands. Antonis’ three “Pieces of Me”...

Morten Grubak, VP of Creative Direction, joins Janine in the studio to discuss creativity in business, his career and Zalando’s brand refresh. Janine and Morten cover everything, from the importance of a confident brand identity, the role of technology in fashion, to Morten’s passion for innovative digital solutions. They also delve into the thinking and process behind changing the face of the org...

Heike Lari, Director of Partner Consultancy at ZMS, joins Janine in the studio to explore the dynamic world of Zalando Marketing Services (ZMS), from storytelling in marketing to the future of customer engagement. Heike explains the objective  of ZMS, helping brands connect with their audience, and delves into how ZMS continually adapts to the changing landscape of e-commerce, from live streaming...

Dorothee Schönfeld, Director of Outlets and Overstocks at Zalando, joins Janine in the studio to share her career journey and her role in shaping Zalando’s outlet store experience. First up, Dorothee takes us through the philosophy behind Zalando’s outlets; from building stores that redefine the outlet shopping experience, embracing  the unique characteristics of each store location and creating a...

Peter Török, Employer Branding Manager at Zalando, joins Janine to celebrate the second anniversary of Pieces of Me with a deep dive into Zalando’s employer branding and recruitment. First up, Peter talks us through his own recent journey to Zalando, from Budapest to Berlin, explaining the Zalando recruitment process for anyone considering following in his footsteps. He covers the first interviews...

Jan Muellender is a Senior Vendor Manager at Zalando and he joins Janine in the studio to explain exactly what that entails and how it’s his responsibility to build strong strategic partnerships that help the organisation thrive. Jan breaks down why the role of Senior Vendor Manager is essential within organisations, like Zalando, that have a major focus on innovative use of tech. His focus includ...

Gloria Rupprecht, Director of Product Design for Propositions at Zalando, sits down with Janine to discuss her role in creating memorable and distinct e-commerce experiences for customers.  Gloria explains the evolution of e-commerce in 2024; how different propositions - from beauty, to sports to technology - each require a distinct and tailored design to enhance the shopping experience. Each cate...

Romy Richter, Senior Partnership Excellence Manager at zStudios, joins Janine to share her career journey and explain the thinking, inspiration and processes behind Zalando photo shoots. Romy covers styling the models, shooting the articles, and the challenges faced during shoots, including the sheer volume of content that her team needs to create. Romy also explains how the use of AI is transform...

Lutz Enders, Senior Tech Consultant in the Workplace Innovation and Product Team at Zalando, joins Janine in the studio to discuss the transformative role of AI tools for modern careers. First up, Lutz explains that carefully tailoring the right AI solutions for different job functions is key to significantly boost productivity within organisations. His insights are crucial for anyone looking to u...

Oliver Ruebenkamp, Senior Lead, Event Management, at Zalando, joins Janine in the studio to discuss his pivotal role in planning and creating a huge range of events at Zalando. First up, Oliver explains the responsibilities of his team, from organising internal workshops and all-hands meetings to coordinating external influencer marketing events. This peek behind the scenes of large-scale gatherin...

Mike Mulligan, Director of Customer Identity & Data at Zalando, joins Janine in the studio to explain what’s meant by customer identity, as well as the importance of building customer trust. First up, Mike unpacks Zalando's approach to customer data and explains why data is the key to building deep customer relationships in e-commerce. Like any relationship, it needs to be personal and bu...

Freddy Legatzki, Senior Buyer Sneakers at Zalando, joins Janine in the studio to discuss his career as well as Zalando's Summer of Sports. First up, Freddy explains what a senior buyer role entails, from analysing trade numbers and understanding trend insights to choosing products for Zalando. “Sneaker heads” need to listen closely for updates on upcoming trends in sneaker styles and brands....