MercadoLibre Announces Leadership Shift: Founder Galperin Steps Down as CEO, Appoints Szarfsztejn in New Role

SAO PAULO () – The Latin American e-commerce leader MercadoLibre declared on Wednesday that CEO and co-founder Marcos Galperin will step down and hand over his role to current commerce chief Ariel Szarfsztejn starting from 2026.

MercadoLibre stated in a securities filing that Galperin will transition “into a more strategic position within the firm, serving as the executive chairperson of the board.”

Twenty-six years ago, Galperin, who has since become a billionaire and one of the area’s leading business figures, co-founded MercadoLibre. He transformed it into the largest company in Latin America based on stock market valuation.

In 2017, Szarfsztejn became part of MercadoLibre and took on various roles prior to taking up the position at the helm of their commerce division in 2023.

(Reported by Andre Romani; Edited by Brendan O’Boyle)