Marcelo Claure to Lead Chinese Retailer Shein’s Latin America Drive

Bloomberg — Online retailer Shein plans to appoint former SoftBank Group Corp. executive Marcelo Claure to help run its Latin American business, a signature hire that could accelerate a global expansion by one of world’s most valuable startups.

Claure, once a lieutenant to SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, will lead the region’s operations, a person familiar with the matter said. The former SoftBank chief operating officer also made a roughly $100 million personal investment in the company, the person said, declining to be identified discussing a private deal.

The appointment is unusual given Claure’s track record as a telecom executive, SoftBank COO and tech financier. The Bolivian billionaire left SoftBank in 2022 and moved closer to his roots, leasing office space for an investment outfit in Miami. The hire may reflect Shein’s aggressive push into new territories, building on its success selling cut-price apparel to Western consumers.

Shein representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported Claure’s appointment and investment.

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The former COO of SoftBank is reportedly negotiating a deal to acquire Millicom Celular, which operates in Latin America under the Tigo brand

Shein has grown rapidly since its inception, capturing consumers from the US to Europe with a distinct combination of viral marketing videos and speedy fashion updates. An April 2022 funding round pegged its valuation at $100 billion — more than Hennes & Mauritz AB and the firm behind Zara combined. Its backers include Sequoia China and Tiger Global.

While concerns about slowing growth have dimmed its prospects, secondary trades in July indicated the company was still worth about $70 billion. Virtually none of Shein’s sales are in China. In the US, it’s amassed an estimated 40% share of the fast-fashion industry. Sales hit roughly $16 billion in 2021, up from $10 billion in 2020.

Claure built a $2 billion fortune as a deputy to Son before leaving the firm last year after a contentious split from his onetime mentor. He was known for leading the effort to clean up one of SoftBank’s most spectacular mis-steps — its investment into WeWork — as well as spearheading Sprint Corp. He also led SoftBank’s investment efforts in Latin America, one of its more successful funds. While awaiting the end of his non-compete clause, he’s establishing his own investment firm.

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Claure: Valuations Are Temporary; Great Companies Are Still Being Made

Attending the inaugural event of Bloomberg’s New Economy Gateway Latin America in Panama City, Claure maintains a bullish position for tech in the region

--With assistance from Daniela Wei, Zheping Huang and Olivia Poh

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