Change in leadership at Visable: Patrick Sostmann to take over from Peter F. Schmid as CEO of Visable Group on January 1, 2026
Hamburg, December 2nd, 2025 – After more than 13 years at the helm of Visable, Peter F. Schmid will hand over leadership of the Visable Group to Patrick Sostmann, who has been CCO at Visable since June 2025, on January 1, 2026. Visable operates the B2B marketplaces wer liefert was (wlw) and europages. The handover at the top underscores the company's continuous development and its close partnership with Alibaba.com. Sostmann will continue to drive forward the strategy based on AI investments and user orientation, thereby expanding the B2B marketplaces into European market leaders in digital B2B business.
Over the past 13 years, Peter F. Schmid has transformed the long-established German business directory wer liefert was (wlw) into the internationally active digital company Visable, which now operates the two leading B2B marketplaces europages and wer liefert was (wlw). The last key milestone was Alibaba.com becoming majority shareholder in 2023. With these steps, Peter F. Schmid has set the course for a successful future.
Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, praises Peter F. Schmid's contribution to the successful development of Visable: "Under the leadership of Peter F. Schmid, Visable has developed into a strong digital B2B brand in Europe. His strategic vision and commitment were crucial to the successful integration into the international Alibaba.com network. We thank him sincerely for his achievements and wish him all the best for the future." Peter F. Schmid looks back on his time at Visable with gratitude: “The past 13 years have been an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey – from the transformation of a directory to an international enterprise with a digital portfolio. I would like to thank Kuo Zhang and Alibaba.com for the trust they have placed in me and my team. Together, we have led Visable to a strong position for the future.”
The new CEO, Patrick Sostmann, will take on a dual role: He will serve as both CEO of the Visable Group and General Manager Western Europe at Alibaba.com. This will enable him to optimally coordinate the joint strategic direction of all Visable and Alibaba.com platforms. Patrick Sostmann previously served as Chief Sales Officer at Visable from 2017 to 2021, during which time he played a key role in driving the company's success. After successful stints as CEO at Kaffee Partner and LR Health & Beauty Systems, Patrick Sostmann returned to Visable in the summer of 2025 with expanded responsibilities as Chief Commercial Officer.
Patrick Sostmann is committed to positioning wer liefert was (wlw) and europages as leading, intelligently networked platforms in the European B2B environment and taking the digitalization of small and medium-sized businesses to a new level. “Visable is ideally positioned to make European companies even more visible in digital commerce. Together with Alibaba.com, we will develop our traditional product marketplaces into data- and AI-supported purchasing agents that deliver completely new opportunities for both buyers and suppliers.” In close cooperation with Alibaba.com, CEO Patrick Sostmann and his team at the headquarters in Hamburg and at the Visable locations in Paris, Berlin, Münster, Milan, Madrid, and Hangzhou will initially focus on the technical and commercial development of the platform offering.
Kuo Zhang also emphasizes his confidence in the leadership under the new CEO: “Patrick Sostmann is exactly the right person to lead Visable into the next phase of AI-driven B2B marketplaces. With his experience, vision, and leadership skills, he will further strengthen the successful collaboration between Visable and Alibaba.com.”
Contacts
Theresa FreyPress contactVisable GmbH
press@visable.comImages
About Visable
Visable helps small and medium-sized businesses make their products and services accessible internationally. Visable offers a wide range of customized services for business customers to increase their online reach. These include proprietary B2B marketplaces and online marketing services such as Google Ads. The B2B marketplaces operated by Visable GmbH include wer liefert was (wlw), the leading B2B marketplace in the D-A-CH region, and the European B2B marketplace europages. Alibaba.com has been the majority shareholder of Visable since 2023.
With leading B2B marketplaces and online marketing services, companies have powerful products at their disposal to expand their network of professional buyers and build digital visibility. Since 1995, Visable has been helping small and medium-sized businesses increase their online reach and optimize their digital sales with smart online marketing opportunities.
Visable was founded in response to the challenges of internationalization and digitalization in the B2B market and now employs more than 400 people at its locations in Hamburg, Berlin, Münster, Paris, Madrid, Milan, and Hangzhou. Visable is the umbrella brand for the brands wer liefert was (wlw) and europages and continues to expand its B2B marketplaces and online marketing services.
Further articles, information, and press releases can be found at www.visable.com.
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