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Wayfair Names Anke Schäferkordt to Board of Directors
September 19,
2019 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Executive Changes, Industry 
E-commerce giant Wayfair (NYSE:W) has recently named Anke Schäferkordt to its board of directors.
Schäferkordt brings extensive experience in media and international markets to the Wayfair board, drawing upon her long tenure as a visionary leader and chief executive for the Germany-based media powerhouse RTL Television and Media Group RTL.
“We are excited to welcome Anke to the board as we continue to rapidly scale our international operations and address the tremendous market opportunity ahead of us,” said Niraj Shah, CEO, co-founder and co-chairman, Wayfair. “Anke joins us with an impressive track record of building strong, large and profitable businesses and we look forward to her insight and guidance as we continue to invest in our international brand and European operations and our market leadership position across North America.”
Over the course of her distinguished career, Schäferkordt served as the chief executive officer of RTL Television and Media Group RTL from 2005 to 2018 and as the co-chief executive officer of RTL Group S.A. from 2012 to 2017. During her tenure, she was instrumental in expanding the channel and digital portfolio, defending the company’s market leadership position and transforming the German business into the most profitable pillar of RTL Group and Bertelsmann.
“I am delighted to join the Wayfair board and partner with Niraj and Steve and the rest of the team at such a pivotal point in the company’s expansion,” said Schäferkordt. “Wayfair is well-positioned for continued success as it drives customer experience to new heights and wins the hearts of customers across international markets.”
Schäferkordt served as a member of the executive board of Bertelsmann SE & Co. from 2012 to 2018. She also currently serves as a member of the supervisory board for BASF SE and as a member of the Serviceplan Group SE & Co. supervisory board. Schäferkordt is a graduate of Paderborn University with a degree in business administration.
Schäferkordt will fill the board seat formerly held by Romero Rodrigues who is stepping down from the nine-person board after five years of service.