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Chrono24 Names New CEO
José Gaztelu has been promoted to the role, which has been vacant since last year.
Chrono24 said José Gaztelu’s appointment marks “a clear signal” for its next phase of growth, which includes the expansion of its U.S. business.
Karlsruhe, Germany—Online watch marketplace Chrono24 has promoted José Gaztelu to CEO.
Gaztelu joined the company in July 2025 as chief growth officer.
He has been leading the company since September 2025, when former CEO Carsten Keller stepped down.
While with the company, Gaztelu has detailed and operationalized the company's strategy, strengthened the leadership team, and accelerated growth initiatives such as the expansion of its U.S. business, Chrono24 said.
Tobias Hartmann, chairman of the board of directors, said, “José has demonstrated exceptional leadership since joining Chrono24.”
"He immersed himself in the business with remarkable speed and moved quickly from understanding the company to shaping its direction. This appointment formalizes what has already been working.”
In a LinkedIn post, Keller wrote, “With today’s appointment of José Gaztelu as CEO, the company enters its next phase. José is an exceptional leader - and having worked closely with him, I could not be more proud to see him take the helm. I am confident he and his team will drive Chrono24’s next phase of accelerated profitable growth.”
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Gaztelu joined the company in July 2025 as chief growth officer.
He has been leading the company since September 2025, when former CEO Carsten Keller stepped down.
While with the company, Gaztelu has detailed and operationalized the company's strategy, strengthened the leadership team, and accelerated growth initiatives such as the expansion of its U.S. business, Chrono24 said.
Tobias Hartmann, chairman of the board of directors, said, “José has demonstrated exceptional leadership since joining Chrono24.”
"He immersed himself in the business with remarkable speed and moved quickly from understanding the company to shaping its direction. This appointment formalizes what has already been working.”
In a LinkedIn post, Keller wrote, “With today’s appointment of José Gaztelu as CEO, the company enters its next phase. José is an exceptional leader - and having worked closely with him, I could not be more proud to see him take the helm. I am confident he and his team will drive Chrono24’s next phase of accelerated profitable growth.”
Gaztelu has more than 15 years of international experience in scaling digital platforms.
He most recently served on the executive leadership team at Nextdoor, a neighborhood network offering local news and safety alerts among other things.
There, he was responsible for market operations and corporate strategy across the U.S. and international markets.
Previously, he held senior roles at online course platform Domestika, home remodeling and design platform Houzz, and Zalora, an e-commerce platform based in Southeast Asia.
He began his career at McKinsey & Company as an analyst, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“Chrono24 is uniquely positioned in the luxury watch market, combining the world's largest selection with deep expertise and a passionate global community,” Gaztelu said.
“I am honored by the trust the board has placed in me. Together with an outstanding team, we will continue to strengthen Chrono24 as the destination for luxury watches, deepen trust for buyers and sellers, and unlock the significant growth potential ahead of us, particularly in the U.S.”
Chrono24 said its strategic direction remains unchanged.
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