“The people are the key to success”: 10 lessons from Matthias Wlaka, CTO at bonprix

The E-commerce Berlin Expo celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2026. To mark this milestone, we interviewed some of the world’s most influential leaders about the future of online retail, asking them to share their 10 valuable lessons in e-commerce. Their insights were featured in our special album, showcasing the most powerful voices in online retail, which we decided to share with you on E-commerce Germany News.

This time, we’re featuring an exclusive interview with Matthias Wlaka, Managing Director Technology / CTO at bonprix. See what e-commerce lessons he shared with us below!

THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING RELEVANT

What first drew you to this industry?

MATTHIAS: I love retail and products. B2C is not easy, but you can touch and relate to the products you sell. 

Quote / MATTHIAS WLAKA, MANAGING DIRECTOR TECHNOLOGY / CTO AT BONPRIX

The people are the key to success: the right people, with the right skills and the right mindset in the right organisation. You don’t always need the best people. But you need to understand the skillset and maturity well and shape the organisation and leadership structures accordingly.

Which early failure taught you something that still guides you today?

MATTHIAS: During my early career years at the management consultancy Accenture, I experienced clients who asked for solutions without fully understanding their problem. This resulted in solutions not really fixing their problems. Today I spend more time diving deep into the problem first before designing a solution.

When you think of the past decade of e-commerce, what do you miss – and what are you glad we left behind?

MATTHIAS: At the beginning, many different concepts and solutions were piloted. Some worked, some did not. But it was an exciting and creative time. Today, most shops look similar. Only minor adjustments, supported by constant A/B tests, are implemented. Shop managers are concerned that too many changes might confuse customers and thus jeopardize conversions. This feels a bit boring. But from a technical side, the shops work well. I’m glad that we left the time of buggy shops behind us. 

Quote / MATTHIAS WLAKA, MANAGING DIRECTOR TECHNOLOGY / CTO AT BONPRIX

Staying relevant has always been important – but with new and strong players on the market, it is even more important now. If you can’t generate enough new customers, your business will go down fast.

What is the single most important business lesson you have learned throughout your career?

MATTHIAS: The people are the key to success: the right people, with the right skills and the right mindset in the right organisation. You don’t always need the best people. But you need to understand the skillset and maturity well and shape the organisation and leadership structures accordingly. I focus a lot on optimizing structures and team dynamics.  

How would you define success in e-commerce today, and how has your view of it changed over time?

MATTHIAS: The competition is strong. Growth is much harder to achieve, but important to stay relevant. Staying relevant has always been important – but with new and strong players on the market, it is even more important now. If you can’t generate enough new customers, your business will go down fast.

AI WILL CHANGE THE FUTURE

What do you see as the biggest opportunity in e-commerce today?

MATTHIAS: For me, AI is a big opportunity. If we get it right, it will really help the customer. For a fashion brand like bonprix this is a great chance. With generative AI, we will be able to test visuals fast and easy, and with agentic AI, we will be able to open completely new channels with added value to our customers.

What’s the most counterintuitive or unconventional thing your company does today that actually works?

MATTHIAS: We reduced the shopping cart holding time, and the conversion went up. I don’t have a good reason explaining this customer behavior.

What guiding principle do you personally refuse to compromise on, no matter the trend or pressure? 

MATTHIAS: bonprix is an international company founded in 1986 in Hamburg and with its headquarters in this city. The Hanseatic merchant has a long tradition and stands for values. I would never compromise on these values. 

Looking ahead, what will define the next decade of e-commerce, and how does thinking about the future make you feel – optimistic, excited, concerned, or something else?

MATTHIAS: I expect new devices like AI Glasses to make a huge difference in the future. They will enable us to interact more closely with our customers.

If you could leave a message for future e-commerce leaders, what would it be?

MATTHIAS: The next years will be wild. Be brave, try new things, and always focus on your customer.

MATTHIAS WLAKA’S BIO:

Matthias Wlaka has been a member of the bonprix Executive Board since January 2024 and has successfully implemented the consolidation and synchronization of bonprix’s IT activities in this role. Previously, the computer science graduate spent ten years in management positions at OTTO, a sister company of the Otto Group, and at the management consultancy Accenture. Matthias Wlaka lives with his family in Hamburg.

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