Zalando has appointed Thomas Schwulera as its new vice president for beauty, as the online fashion and lifestyle platform looks to build on double-digit growth in the category over the past year.

Schwulera joins from L’Oréal, where he spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles across Europe and the company’s global headquarters in Paris. His background includes expertise in digital transformation, e-commerce and premium beauty brand management.

Based in Berlin, Schwulera will lead the full strategy for Zalando’s Beauty business, focusing on accelerating growth through enhanced curation, technology-driven personalisation, and engaging, content-led experiences.

It is understood Schwulera will oversee category strategy, partnerships, and innovation initiatives, in a bid to boost customer engagement and reinforce the business’ position as a destination for beauty discovery online.

Zalando said the appointment reflected its ambition to grow its beauty division as a key part of its wider lifestyle expansion strategy.

A spokesperson for Zalando said Schwulera’s appointment “marks the next step in strengthening our beauty business and unlocking new opportunities for growth across Europe”.

In August, the retailer upgraded its full-year guidance, following the acquisition of rival fashion retailer About You and posting a rise in profit in the second quarter.

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