Sedo has hired Tobias Flaitz, previously with a company called Hubert Burda Media, as the company’s new CEO and member of the Board of Management. He replaces company co-founder Tim Schumacher, “who is leaving the Board of Management as of December 31, 2011 for personal reasons.”
Under Schumacher’s leadership, Sedo grew to become the largest domain aftermarket, and a large parking company as well. Schumacher is expected to continue an association with Sedo, as the company that owns Sedo intends to propose Schumacher as a member of its Supervisory Board.
Last August, it was announced that Sedo’s Jeremiah Johnston, was dropping his position as Chief Operating Officer to focus on starting a private legal practice. Johnston continues to be Sedo’s General Counsel.
I wish Schumacher all the best with whatever his next endeavor is.
Press Release:
The Supervisory Board of Sedo Holding AG has named Tobias Flaitz (40), previously with Hubert Burda Media, as the new CEO/member of the Management Board of Sedo. On February 1, 2012, he will succeed Sedo’s current CEO and co-founder, Tim Schumacher (35), who is leaving the Board of Management as of December 31, 2011 for personal reasons. At the next Annual General Meeting 2012 the Supervisory Board is due to be newly elected. In a proposal by United Internet AG, the Supervisory Board intends to propose Tim Schumacher as a new member of the Supervisory Board.
Tim Schumacher co-founded Sedo in 2001, together with Marius Würzner, Ulrich Essmann and Ulrich Priesner, and led the company to become the global leader in domain trading. In 2007, he was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young Germany. In 2009, he became CEO of Sedo Holding AG, which is comprised of Sedo’s domain business and ‘affilinet’, one of Europe’s leading affiliate marketing platforms.
Tobias Flaitz holds a degree in engineering and an MBA from the Universities of St.Gallen, Switzerland, and Berkeley, CA. He worked successfully for many years as a consultant for Accenture as well as Booz & Co. in the USA and EMEA. Since 2007 Tobias Flaitz held a management position in Strategy and Business Development with Hubert Burda Media in Munich.
“On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Tim Schumacher for the many years of excellent and trustful cooperation, for his personal commitment and the great accomplishments he has attained for the company. He founded and led Sedo from being a start-up to the world’s largest marketplace for domains and the leading domain parking company,” said Michael Scheeren, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. “We are delighted that Tim Schumacher will be available for further cooperation within the Supervisory Board. At the same time, we are delighted to have obtained the services of Tobias Flaitz, as an experienced manager with competence in digital business models and consulting expertise in strategy development and process optimization, who will drive Sedo’s further expansion during the coming years.”
About Sedo
Sedo, an acronym for “Search Engine for Domain Offers,” is the leading domain marketplace and monetization provider. Headquartered in Cologne, Germany and with offices in London, England and Cambridge, Mass., Sedo has assembled the world’s largest database of domain names for sale, with more than 15 million listings. The success of Sedo’s model has attracted a global membership base of more than 1 million domain professionals and end-users. For more information, visit www.Sedo.com.
Being a 6 figure lifetime sedo seller, and holding a couple thousand domains there, after the bump to 15% commission, sedo has not presented anything new. If anything many more lowball offers from domainers all day long.
Sedo changed the game in domain sales way back when, but now has truly fallen behind.
The notable turmover and/or exodus of personnel at SEDO over the past cupla year has certainly been quite remarkable.
Rumor has it Tim was forced out.