Wayfair Names Romero Rodrigues to its Board of Directors

Naspers Executive Brings Global E-commerce Expertise to Online Retailer of Home Products

News provided by

Jul 29, 2014, 08:00 ET

BOSTON, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayfair, the online destination for everything home, today announced the appointment of Romero Rodrigues to the company's board of directors. As Global Chief Executive Officer for comparison shopping at Naspers, a South African multinational mass media company, and co-founder of the Buscape Company, a digital commerce group, Rodrigues brings extensive entrepreneurial, e-commerce and consumer expertise to the Wayfair board.

Romero Rodrigues joins Wayfair's Board of Directors. (PRNewsFoto/Wayfair)

Early in his career, Rodrigues identified an opportunity to introduce comparison shopping search engines to consumers searching to buy products online in Latin America. The need for such a platform led Rodrigues to co-found the Buscape Company, which started as one individual comparison shopping site and has since grown to more than 20 different individual sites providing an affiliate network, shopping information, comparison shopping, fraud analysis and related tools.

At Buscape Company, Rodrigues led more than 15 acquisitions and raised four funding rounds from investors including Great Hill Partners, Merrill Lynch and Itau Unibanco. In 2009, Naspers acquired 91% of Buscape Company for $374 million.

"Romero is an exceptionally talented businessman and a great visionary in the e-commerce world," noted Niraj Shah, CEO, co-chairman and co-founder of Wayfair. "We are honored to have him join our board and welcome his guidance as we continue to build Wayfair globally as a leading online destination for home goods."

In his current role at Naspers, Rodrigues oversees comparison shopping platforms in emerging markets including Brazil, Poland, Italy and South Africa. Under his leadership, Buscape has become the dominant player in the comparison shopping category.

"E-commerce is an exciting, fast growing market sector in the world's economy and Wayfair is poised to be a major player in that growth," noted Rodrigues. "I am delighted to join Wayfair's board of directors and look forward to contributing to the company's continued success."

Rodrigues is a member of the Endeavor Brazil Board, a global nonprofit that transforms emerging countries by supporting high-impact entrepreneurs. Rodrigues holds a B.S. in electrical and computer science engineering from the University of Sao Paulo.

About Wayfair

Wayfair offers a zillion things home – an extensive selection of home furnishings and decor across all styles and price points. With more than seven million home items from thousands of brands, Wayfair helps people find the perfect product at the right price through tailored shopping experiences across its brand portfolio. Wayfair's unparalleled selection and superior customer service coupled with the convenience of online shopping, makes it easier than ever before for shoppers to find exactly what they want for their homes.

The Wayfair family of brands includes:

Wayfair.com, the online destination for all things home
Joss & Main, the members-only retail experience for daily home inspiration and savings
AllModern, the go-to source for original modern design
Birch Lane, a new collection of classic furnishings and timeless home decor
DwellStudio, a design house for fashion-forward modern furnishings

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Wayfair employs more than 1,600 people in its eight global locations of Boston, New York, Ogden, Utah, Hebron, Kentucky, Galway, Ireland, London, Berlin and Sydney. For more information, visit www.wayfair.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140729/130743

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120810/NE55501LOGO

SOURCE Wayfair