Rejig at Amsterdam’s WeTransfer: CEO to step down; CTO Alexandar Vassilev to succeed

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Amsterdam-based WeTransfer, an online file-sharing platform, announced on Tuesday that its CEO Gordon Willoughby will step down from the position and Alexandar Vassilev, the Chief Product and Technology Officer, has been appointed CEO and member of the Management Board.

Melissa Nussbaum, who currently serves as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and member of the Management Board, will also take on the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), alongside her existing responsibilities.

Both the appointments will be effective from May 17, 2022. Gordon has been working closely with both Alex and Melissa since they joined, and particularly over the last few weeks to ensure a smooth transition.

Martha Lane Fox, Supervisory Board Chair at WeTransfer, says, “After more than five years at WeTransfer, we say farewell to Gordon with immense gratitude for everything he has done to grow the business, and take it to where it is today. Under his leadership, WeTransfer has grown to become not only a household name but a brand that has balanced profit and purpose, while delivering productivity tools that improve the lives of creatives around the world.”

“The decision to appoint Alex was a logical and unanimous one for the Board. Alex understands WeTransfer and its commitment to creativity like no other and appreciates the company’s unique growth potential. As our product suite continues to develop, the rest of the Board and I are brimming with confidence in WeTransfer’s bright future with Alex at the helm,” she adds.

Gordon Willoughby and his achievements at WeTransfer

After more than five years of leading WeTransfer from its HQ in Amsterdam, Willoughby has chosen to step down so he can return to the UK to spend more time with his family, who returned to the UK two years ago. 

Since 2017, he has led the scaling up of WeTransfer’s business, nearly tripling the size of the platform from just over 30 million to 87 million monthly active users. 2021 was a record year for the company with revenues exceeding €100M, representing a 60+ per cent year-on-year uplift while maintaining profitability.

Under his leadership, WeTransfer grew its revenues over 5X while maintaining profitability and tripling in size from 100 people to over 300 with offices in the Netherlands, the UK and the US. In 2018, the company completed the acquisitions of Paper and Paste to further extend its suite of productivity tools.

Moreover, Willoughby has also helped build a trusted and authentic brand amongst the creative community, driven by its purpose and its values. WeTransfer became one of the first tech companies to achieve B Corp certification in 2020, and launched the Supporting Act Foundation in 2021, to support emerging creative talent around the world.

Willoughby says, “It’s been an incredible journey at WeTransfer and I leave knowing that the business is well placed to grow, expand and go deeper into the hearts and minds of our community of creatives around the world. I am hugely proud that I leave WeTransfer as a BCorp, and that we delivered fast and profitable growth while always staying true to our values and purpose. It was always in my plans to eventually return to the UK to spend more time with my family, and now is the right time for a new leader to take the company through its next phase of growth and expansion. Alex’s product expertise and leadership skills make him the ideal CEO as WeTransfer continues to build on its leading position as the platform of choice for creatives. I want to congratulate Alex and Melissa on their appointments.”

Who is Alexandar Vassilev?

Alexandar is WeTransfer’s Chief Product and Technology Officer. He joined the company in September, 2020, and, prior to this, served as CEO and MD of Joyn, a German entertainment streaming platform, from 2018. Before Joyn, Vassilev spent a decade at Google working on various monetisation products, including DoubleClick products and Adwords for Video, YouTube and Google Search. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a CIS degree from Missouri Southern State University.

Since joining WeTransfer as CPTO in September, 2020, Vassilev claims to have played a leading role in WeTransfer’s success. His product development skills were integral for the launch of WeTransfer Premium in January, 2022, and he will continue to oversee Product and Technology until a successor is hired.

Vassilev says, “I’m immensely proud to be taking over as CEO of WeTransfer. Gordon has successfully scaled WeTransfer to become a leading provider of creative productivity tools, and I’m excited to lead us into the next phase of growth. When I joined WeTransfer almost two years ago, I said it was a rocket ship, with huge and boundless potential. As I take the reins, I am determined to help the company continue innovating, delivering world-class solutions while driving the growth that it is capable of. I can’t wait to lead the company in its next exciting growth phase and continue working with the incredible talent at WeTransfer.”

WeTransfer appoints a new Chief Operating Officer

Melissa Nussbaum will take on the role of COO, alongside her existing CFO duties. Having developed a partnership with Alexandar Vassilev since her arrival in 2020, the appointment will help WeTransfer towards its future goals. Alongside Legal, Data Analytics and Finance, Nussbaum, who was already a member of the Management Board since 2021, will now also oversee both Human Resources and Marketing.

Nussbaum has been WeTransfer’s Chief Financial Officer since September 21, 2020, and has been a Managing Director since May 1, 2021. She joined WeTransfer after spending seven years at King Digital Entertainment. At King, she led finance and strategy and before that had a leading role during its IPO in 2014 and eventual sale to Activision Blizzard for $5.9B in 2016. 

Prior to this, Melissa worked at PwC for over twelve years, serving as a Director working across its audit, risk, and capital markets departments in Belgium, France, Canada and the UK. She is a Chartered Accountant and holds a degree in Commerce, Accounting and Finance from Concordia University in Canada.

About WeTransfer

Founded in 2009 by Bas Beerens, Nal den, Rinke Visser, and Ronald Hans, WeTransfer offers a way to send files around the world through its platform. As of January, 2022, its products are used by over 87 million monthly active users across 190 countries and have around 387,000 paying subscribers.

In addition to the file-sharing services, WeTransfer also offers Paste, a feature to design and present decks online. The company also has the Collect app, which enables users to take screenshots, scribble, and save anything they need. It is said to be the go-to app for saving and sharing all the stuff one may need. Finally, the company offers Paper, a software solution to enable sketch, type, paint, and draw options.

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Vishal Singh

Vishal Singh is a News Reporter and Social Media Marketing Lead at Silicon Canals. He covers developments in the European startup ecosystem and oversees the publication's social media presence. Before joining Silicon Canals, Vishal gained experience at the Indian digital media outlet Inc42, contributing to its growth with insightful content. Despite being a college dropout, his passion for writing has driven his career in journalism.

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