7 December 2018 – Klarna, a leading global payments provider, is pleased to announce that Wilko Klaassen has been appointed General Manager for Belgium and the Netherlands for Klarna. Klaassen is responsible for continuing to accelerate Klarna’s growth in these markets and the main focus is on bringing the Klarna ‘smooothness’ to all customers and merchants in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Klaassen has extensive experience from the e-commerce industry and has played a role in managing and building international e-commerce and/or digital teams for LEGO, Electrolux and the Husqvarna Group. Throughout his career held various international senior roles in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and the UK. Before joining Klarna, Klaassen was the CDO at Bakker.com.

Wilko Klaassen, General Manager for Belgium and the Netherlands, says: “The payment industry is evolving from being one of the final steps in the checkout to a key component in the overall shopping experience. Throughout my career, I have collaborated extensively with payment providers and worked with solutions to optimise user experience and customer conversion. By focusing on the user experience and thereby achieve increased customer engagement, merchants can generate a huge impact in the fields of conversion and loyalty. Klarna is currently one of the biggest change-makers in this field. I believe we have a great opportunity to continue expanding Klarna’s presence in the Netherlands and Belgium especially in combination with the fast paced organisation and the passionate colleagues.”