Zmall Delivery Appoints New CEO

Ethiopian food delivery and e-commerce platform Zmall has appointed Gaspard De Gruben, a Belgian business developer, as its new CEO.

This move comes as Zmall expands its service offerings, and founder Temesgen Geberehiwot, Ph.D., who has led the startup until now, will transition to the role of Chairman of the Board.

In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of Zmall, Gaspard will be responsible for introducing new features, securing funding, and building a customer-oriented service.

“Zmall needs a fresh face and energy. My efforts have brought the company to its current stage, and a new approach is required to propel it further. Additionally, I am currently working on developing another platform, which led me to step down from the CEO position,” Temesgne shared with Shega.

Gaspard holds a dual degree in Economics & Management and Political Sciences, as well as a Master’s degree in Management Sciences, majoring in Entrepreneurship. The Belgian national has held various positions, including Project Leader in an Ethiopian consultancy and marketing firm and Business Development and Marketing in an equity crowdfunding platform in Brussels.

Zmall was launched in 2020 under ETTA Solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Temesgen’s first venture into Ethiopia’s startup space was Ethiopia Taxi (ETTA). However, it did not experience smooth operations, leading him to venture into developing Zmall.

Launched with an investment of 5 million birr and 10 motorcycles, Zmall initially delivered food from restaurants. It has since grown to become one of Ethiopia’s largest e-commerce and delivery platforms, expanding its offerings to beverages, supermarkets, and pastries.

Around a month ago, Zmall also introduced an on-demand laundry service, offering users a convenient doorstep laundry pickup and delivery experience.

Zmall now has 140 motors, 250,000 users, and delivers 1500 orders per day. Notably, Zmall has not yet raised external funding and has already expanded its services to South Sudan.