Could you introduce yourself and your role at Zalando?
My name is Rupesh, and I come from India. At Zalando, I work as Head of Product, supporting the product management team working on the fulfillment platform in the B2B Logistics (business-to-business) department.
What motivated you to join Zalando?
I've been in my role at Zalando for about 2 years, but my relationship with the company started about 5 years ago. Back then, as a Technology provider, I was helping Zalando deploy robots in its fulfillment center in Brunna, near Stockholm. It struck me then how important customer experience was for Zalando. It wasn’t just a statement, but every employee truly lived up to it. No matter what you did, you kept in mind how your work impacted the customer. It was phenomenal to see that implemented at every level.
What motivates you most about working at Zalando now?
First and foremost, it is the huge opportunity that we are tapping into. Logistics is a large, fragmented and traditional space which can be transformed by technology. Then it is the four major elements of our work – scale, speed, impact and sheer fun. Given Zalando’s scale, we need to build scalable solutions with billions of shipments in mind from the start. Operating like a small startup, the momentum we have is incredible. We have a phenomenal operational speed, getting some of the biggest global brands to go live with us within six months of launch. What I also appreciate about the company is the win-win balance that Zalando aims for. We are always striving for the impact that we create for everyone involved – our partners, customers,environment and the company itself. Lastly, in regards to the fun part, we have an amazing, fun-loving, young and resilient team with big dreams, high cohesion, and unique spirit. This is something you won’t find everywhere. We have our Christmas parties, summer events, weekly breakfasts, monthly dinners together and we even have movie nights with families. We help and support each other, and we have a very unique environment of trust. And the team embraces and welcomes you from the first day.
What else do you like about our culture?
There are two things that stand out for me. First is diversity – and let me give you some numbers on it. The current product team in B2B Logistics is around 30 people, coming from 16 different countries. Such cultural diversity helps us create just the right mix of ideas and a great collaborative spirit. The second aspect is the optimism and love for challenge at Zalando’s DNA. It’s ingrained in our culture that nothing is impossible. Even though we are trying to make such a big shift in B2B Logistics with multi-channel fulfillment, no one here thinks or makes you feel that it’s not doable.
How do you feel about Zalando’s business-to-business (B2B) vision?
Personally, I see our purpose in democratizing fashion e-commerce in Europe. We help brands get closer to customers by giving them access to marketplaces, where they will be discovered by more people across Europe. We also facilitate fulfillment and shipping for our partners. Traditionally, e-commerce fulfillment has been the biggest barrier to entry for brands because it demands extreme operational intensity. Setting up one fulfillment center could cost at least €100 million, which means that very few brands can afford to have fulfillment centers across Europe. So, here comes our B2B Logistics that unlocks the potential of the European market for our partners. When the brands integrate with us, they get access to the whole multitude of marketplaces, their products can be placed closer to the customer, and be quickly and easily delivered across Europe. This takes an immense amount of complexity out of the work process for our partners, reduces costs for them dramatically, and enhances the fulfillment experience for their customers.
What role does your team play in B2B?
As the product management team, we are building a three-sided platform for B2B Logistics. On the one side, there are channels outside of Zalando marketplace. On the second side, there is a host of carriers and markets that we unlock for our partners. And on the third side, it's the brands and sellers. At the center of this system is our logistics network – our warehouses. We orchestrate the stock between different warehouses, allocate customer orders to specific warehouses, and assign carriers to complete deliveries. This whole orchestration is the center of this triangle. The product team thus builds these three infinitely scalable interfaces of the multi-sided platform and also works on the core orchestration for the logistics network.
What makes your team special?
Being at the forefront makes the work of the team very special. To make sure that the business achieves its goals, we need to make lots of things happen, and quickly. It is natural to make mistakes, but we never give up. Instead we focus, solve and improve. The team is very new – most of us have been at Zalando for less than 18 months. But, this is a team of fast learners, who are very motivated, diverse and extremely resilient. Reacting fast, adapting fast and really responding to the challenges of our currently ambiguous environment requires a lot of effort and focus. The team has proven this on multiple occasions over the last 18 months, which I am extremely proud of. I believe the three founding principles of Zalando – “think big, act fast”, “act like an owner”, and “live high challenge, high support” – are really exemplified by the team we have.
How would you describe your leadership style?
My main focus is to get the best out of the team in order to deliver the highest long-term impact for the organization. That, I believe, can only be achieved by empowering them by giving them more context, setting ambitious goals and high standards, and then removing obstacles in their way. And, most importantly by creating a safe environment for them to experiment, giving them feedback, and shielding them from distractions.
Why should someone want to join your team?
Obviously, there is the Zalando culture that keeps us, and me personally, motivated and energized. And, talking specifically about our department, I would say the size of the opportunity we have. We have the right timing, trusting partners, and the experience to actually make it happen. And, we are just getting started, which means you’d have an opportunity to be there right from the start.
What piece of advice would you give our readers who consider applying for a Zalando job?
I would say, prepare to be curious, take ownership and get things done in a highly complex problem space. Innovation stems from curiosity. At Zalando, we always need people who can move fast, make things happen, who may have experience, but are humble enough to admit they may not know everything, those who are willing to iterate and learn.
Would you like to get to know Rupesh and his team better? Check out our open positions in B2B at Zalando.
