Vend hires international top executive as new Chief Commercial Officer

Vend is entering a new phase of growth with a clear focus on further commercial development.

In line with this, we have been looking for a leader with solid experience in data-driven marketing, an international background, and broad commercial expertise – someone who can bring fresh perspectives and build on the strong commercial foundation established under the leadership of Ruben Søgaard, former EVP Marketing & Sales.

This role will now be filled by Yale Varty (40), who will assume the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Vend on 15 December 2025.

Broad international background
Varty, who will be part of Vend’s Executive Management Team, brings more than 15 years of international leadership experience across e-commerce, travel, fashion, and consulting, including senior roles at Expedia, ASOS, Hostelworld, and Boden.

Most recently, he served as Chief Commercial Officer at Lyst – a global fashion marketplace with over 160 million annual users – where he also played a key strategic leadership role when the company was acquired by the Japanese e-commerce group ZOZO earlier this year.

Varty’s background and experience give him unique expertise in driving growth, customer engagement, and digital transformation in highly competitive international markets.

Leadership perspective
Explaining the importance of the appointment, Christian Printzell Halvorsen, CEO of Vend, says:

“We are delighted to welcome Yale Varty to Vend. His wide-ranging experience - including leadership at Lyst - makes him an exceptional addition to our leadership team. He combines strategic vision with operational expertise, and his appointment marks an important step in strengthening Vend’s commercial leadership for the future.”

For Yale, there are several factors that make Vend appealing:

“Vend has strong brands and growing demand across its markets. There is a major opportunity to enhance customer experience and loyalty, sharpen the verticals, and make full use of the platform strategy. I look forward to working with the team to deliver on this next phase of growth.”

He also points to the breadth of his career as preparation for the role:

“I’ve been fortunate to work across marketplaces in travel, e-commerce, and fashion. I hope to leverage that breadth as a strength, to connect the dots, adapt quickly, and work with the Vend team through change.”

Beyond his professional career, Yale is also making a significant personal move. Originally from Seattle and currently based in London, he and his wife will relocate to Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.