People Roundup: Prosus/Naspers, Schibsted, PropertyPal, Subito

It's a big people roundup this week, with several high-profile appointments in the executive suite...

Schibsted Marketplaces promotes Christian Printzell Halvorsen to CEO

Christian Halvorsen is the new CEO at marketplace giant Schibsted, replacing the outgoing Kristin Skogen Lund who announced her resignation in February.

Halvorsen has been promoted from his role as Executive Vice President of Schibsted's Nordic marketplaces segment.

Karl-Christian Agerup, Chair of the Board at Schibsted, said:

"After a thorough internal and external search for a CEO for Schibsted Marketplaces, Schibsted’s Board has concluded that Christian is the right choice for the company going forward.

"Christian’s deep understanding of Schibsted’s marketplaces operations – their challenges as well as opportunities – combined with his business acumen and strong leadership skills, make him the ideal candidate to lead Schibsted through this next exciting phase."

Halvorsen's resume includes 10+ years of senior positions with Schibsted, including CEO at FINN and Senior Vice President at Schibsted Marketplaces before its spinoff into Adevinta in 2019. He also spent two years as CEO at global tech company Cxense ASA from 2017-2019.

Schibsted is currently divesting from its News Media segment—which coincided with Skogen Lund's resignation—leaving just the Marketplaces segment remaining.

Schibsted Marketplaces will likely announce new executive appointments in the coming months as the new-look company reaches maturity.

Prosus/Naspers appoints new CEO

Amsterdam-headquartered Prosus and its South Africa-based parent group Naspers have appointed Fabricio Bloisi as CEO.

Bloisi replaces interim CEO Ervin Tu, who was appointed President and Chief Investment Officer.

Bloisi was appointed after unanimous support from the boards at both Prosus and Naspers. Bloisi will join the Naspers board as an executive director on July 1 and the Prosus board in August, subject to shareholder approval.

He leaves Brazilian company, iFood, the leading food delivery company in Latin America, where he has served as CEO since 2019.

Ervin Tu, President and Chief Investment Officer at Prosus, said:

"Fabricio has an incredible operating track record, founders’ passion, is a champion of culture and has the vision to think big and bigger.

"We’re in the midst of a fascinating time of change in the technology industry. There are many opportunities ahead and I couldn’t be more excited to work alongside Fabricio on this journey."

Koos Bekker, chair at Prosus and Naspers, said:

"Backing exceptional entrepreneurs who improve people’s everyday lives through technology has brought us some success over the years. Fabricio is an entrepreneur with a proven track record. His appointment as CEO places innovation and entrepreneurship at the heart of the group."

New CEO at Irish portal PropertyPal

Jordan Buchanan is the new CEO at Northern Irish property portal PropertyPal, with Cecil Hetherington also joining as Chairman.

Outgoing CEO Errol Maxwell, the founder of the company, will remain in the business as a director.

Buchanan said:

"Our focus remains on ensuring we are the most effective platform in lead generation for our customers, while delivering an exceptional user experience for our millions of searchers.

"We will be investing in our digital infrastructure to ensure PropertyPal remains at the forefront of innovation in the global property portal landscape.

"Additionally, we will continue to expand our marketing and branding efforts, which have been a cornerstone of our success in the Northern Ireland market."

Italian horizontal marketplace Subito appoints new head of real estate

Subito has appointed Maurizio Suzzi as its new head of real estate.

Suzzi has been with the firm since 2022 and rose from head of B2B sales strategy to real estate lead.

Subito, owned by Adevinta, operates Italy's largest horizontal marketplace, including vehicles and home goods.

Suzzi commented:

"Subito has a strong, diverse community made up of people who make impulse buys but also those who think long and hard, such as those who purchase cars and real estate.

"Digital helps people search for a house in a more in-depth way."