Marcin Kuśmierz is set to become the new president of Allegro, Poland's leading e-commerce platform, as the company transitions to a new leadership era. Kuśmierz, who previously led Shoper, will officially take over from Roy Perticucci on May 5, 2025, for Allegro sp. z o.o., and from the ordinary general meeting of shareholders for Allegro.eu in June 2025. This strategic succession was announced in October 2024, marking a significant shift as Allegro moves from its recent history of foreign leadership to a Polish executive at the helm.
Kuśmierz brings over 25 years of experience in technology, e-commerce, fintech, and artificial intelligence to his new role. His career began during his studies when he founded a regional hosting company that was later sold to home.pl. He subsequently joined the ITI Group as the Director of Research and Development and later as Director of Mobile Services, where he coordinated major development projects to leverage the latest technologies.
In 2007, Kuśmierz became president of home.pl, eventually selling the company to European leader IONOS while remaining in charge. Under his leadership, home.pl achieved a dominant position in hosting and business applications in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2021, he took on the role of president and shareholder of Shoper, leading the company to a successful stock market debut and achieving the highest growth among all e-commerce platforms in the region from 2021 to 2024.
At the start of 2025, he and other key shareholders decided to sell Shoper to the Cyber_folks technology holding, which valued the company at over 1 billion PLN. This move allowed Kuśmierz to step into his new position at Allegro, where he aims to continue the company's momentum.
Kuśmierz expressed his vision for Allegro, stating, "Allegro has undergone a series of changes that have made it more effective in generating cash flow and meeting the needs of many stakeholders. To continue this success, I intend to develop an organizational culture based on openness, diversity, and collaboration in strong teams, so that everyone can fully realize their potential. My ambition is for Allegro to become the e-commerce platform of choice for an even greater number of consumers and sellers." This commitment to enhancing the company’s culture and performance aligns with Allegro's recent successes.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, Allegro's gross merchandise value (GMV) rose by 9.6 percent year-on-year, reflecting strong growth in their Polish operations as well as increasing GMV on platforms outside Poland. The consolidated adjusted EBITDA also saw a significant increase of 17.9 percent, indicating robust financial health. The number of active buyers across the region reached 21 million, with nearly 6 million of these buyers coming from outside Poland.
In Poland alone, Allegro's GMV improved by 10.9 percent year-on-year, reaching 17.4 billion PLN, while revenues in the country amounted to 2.8 billion PLN, a 16 percent increase compared to the previous year. The company has also been expanding its Allegro Smart! loyalty program, which saw a double-digit increase in subscriptions in the last quarter of 2024, reaching over 7 million users in Poland.
Kuśmierz's appointment comes at a time when Allegro is poised for further growth. The company is intensively developing its network of parcel lockers, currently operating 4,500 devices, with plans to launch an additional 2,500 in 2025. In just eighteen months, Allegro has also successfully launched its platforms in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, increasing its potential customer base by 26 million and bringing the total to 63 million consumers.
Gary McGann, chairman of the board and independent non-executive director of Allegro.eu, highlighted the importance of this leadership change, stating, "The selection of Marcin Kuśmierz signifies the beginning of a new chapter, combining proven leadership, operational excellence on a large scale, and readiness to take on new challenges." He noted that during Perticucci's tenure, Allegro successfully executed its strategy, achieving solid growth and enhancing operational capabilities.
Kuśmierz's predecessor, Roy Perticucci, who became CEO in the autumn of 2022, will transition to a special advisor role within Allegro, ensuring a smooth and structured handover of responsibilities. Perticucci expressed confidence in Kuśmierz's ability to lead Allegro into a dynamic future, leveraging the unique marketplace model to strengthen the company both in Poland and in new markets.
As Allegro prepares for this new chapter under Kuśmierz's leadership, the company is also looking to allocate up to 1.4 billion PLN from its financial surplus for share buybacks in 2025. This strategic move reflects Allegro's strong financial standing and commitment to enhancing shareholder value.
With a solid foundation and ambitious plans for the future, Marcin Kuśmierz's presidency at Allegro is set to usher in a new era for one of Europe's largest e-commerce platforms, aiming for continued growth and innovation in the ever-evolving digital marketplace.
