Zappos.com Appoints Scott Schaefer CEO
Experiential e-commerce retailer Zappos.com has appointed Scott Schaefer as its new CEO, effective immediately, according to a statement released by the company on Wednesday. The move comes two years after late Zappos founder Tony Hsieh stepped down as CEO in August 2020 after 21 years leading the business, and a few months after its most recent CEO, Kedar Deshpande, resigned in November last year.
Schaefer, a long-tenured Zappos executive, has been the acting CEO of the company since December 2021. Prior to serving as acting CEO, he served as vice president of finance, which was preceded by multiple positions with financial, operational and strategic scopes at the company over the course of his 14-year tenure at Zappos. Before joining Zappos in 2008, Schaefer held finance-related roles at Davenport Wealth Management and Ernst & Young.
Total Retail's Take: This move creates a level of continuity in the leadership ranks at Zappos, which appears to be the right tack. Zappos has faced some difficult times stemming from the death of its well-known founder, Tony Hsieh, who died in Nov. 2020 from injuries sustained during a house fire in Connecticut. Hsieh had stepped down from his post as CEO in August 2020. About a year after his death, Kedar Deshpande joined as CEO, but resigned in November. Reportedly, Deshpande faced an enormous challenge filling the shoes of his predecessor.
Schaefer, however, is looking to make a fresh start while also building on the experience he has with the brand. He will oversee the culture-focused company, which has more than 1,400 employees spanning across the U.S. Schaefer is known internally for collaborating on new ways to drive innovative solutions and experimenting with creative opportunities to deliver Zappos' signature "WOW" to employees, customers and brands.
