Mercado Libre CEO Marcos Galperin to Step Down in Late 2025

Marcos Galperin, founder of the e-commerce company Mercado Libre, will step down as CEO at the end of 2025, the company announced Wednesday. He will transition to a strategic role as executive chairman of the board starting Jan. 1, 2026.

Ariel Szarfsztejn, currently Mercado Libre’s head of commerce, will take over as CEO at the beginning of the new year. Szarfsztejn joined the company in 2017 and has held several key leadership roles, assuming responsibility for the commerce division in 2023.

Galperin co-founded Mercado Libre in 1999 alongside three classmates from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Under his leadership, the company became Latin America’s most valuable publicly traded firm, with a current market capitalization of US$131 billion.

In a statement on social media, Galperin expressed confidence in Szarfsztejn’s ability to lead Mercado Libre into its next phase. “I am absolutely convinced Ariel is the right person for this role,” Galperin said. The 53-year-old founder plans to remain actively involved in shaping the company’s strategic direction.

Szarfsztejn, 43, holds a master’s degree from Stanford and has overseen key operations during a period of rapid expansion.

Analysts at Santander described the leadership transition as a “natural progression” and indicated they do not foresee significant changes to the company’s overall strategy.

Investors appeared unfazed by the announcement, with Mercado Libre shares, traded on the NASDAQ since 2007, closing at a record high on Wednesday.

In a September interview with Reuters, Galperin hinted at a future step back but emphasized his ongoing commitment to Mercado Libre’s potential. “If I were to start something new, it would be within Mercado Libre,” he remarked.