The Berlin online fashion retailer Zalando SE wants to gain additional expertise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). On Monday, the company announced that Peter Sarlin had been nominated by the supervisory board as a new member of the board.
Sarlin will therefore stand for election to shareholders at the annual general meeting on May 12th. He will take over the seat on the supervisory board from Susanne Schröter-Crossan, who, according to the company, has decided to resign from her position.
With the designated new addition, the e-commerce specialist’s supervisory board will gain “in-depth AI expertise for the expansion of numerous innovations on Europe’s leading technology platform for fashion and lifestyle in order to drive growth and efficiency throughout the company,” said Zalando.
Sarlin is the founder of the Finnish company Silo AI, the “largest private AI laboratory in Europe,” according to Zalando. In 2024 the company was taken over by AMD. He is also “Chairman of the Board of Directors of the companies NestAI and Qutwo and a professor at Aalto University with a focus on machine learning and AI.”
Kelly Bennett, Chairman of Zalando, explained the nomination. “Peter will play a critical role in further advancing our AI innovations at a time when Zalando creates tremendous value for our customers, our partners and our company,” Bennett said in a statement. “He is a pioneer in the field of AI and we look forward to working with him to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities ahead.”
