Just Eat founder to step down as chief executive
Following Groen’s departure, the company appointed chair Roberto Gandolfo as chief executive, effective 1 January 2026
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Just Eat Takeaway (JET) has announced that founder Jitse Groen will be stepping down from his role as chief executive after 25 years.
Groen founded the business in 2000 as Thuisbezorgd.nl in the Netherlands, expanding it into a multinational operator through acquisitions including Lieferando in 2014 and the 2020 merger with Just Eat.
JET now operates in 16 countries, serving 60 million consumers and 362,000 partners. It completed 653 million orders in 2024, processing €19bn (£16.68bn) in gross merchandise value.
Following Groen’s departure, the company appointed chair Roberto Gandolfo as chief executive, effective 1 January 2026.
The company said the appointment remains subject to approval by the Dutch Central Bank.
Gandolfo is currently chair of the supervisory board and head of Prosus Europe. He previously spent more than a decade at iFood, where he led the marketplace division and oversaw its expansion from one million to 120 million profitable monthly orders, serving more than sixty million customers and supporting 400,000 merchants and 400,000 couriers.
Fabricio Bloisi, chief executive of Prosus, will succeed him as chair of the JET supervisory board.
Groen said: “After a quarter century as founder and CEO of Just Eat Takeaway.com, I am leaving the company today. I am immensely proud of what our team has built, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey.”
Gandolfo added: “JET is a phenomenal business with a strong brand, valued partners, and great people across the organisation. I’m excited to join at this pivotal moment and to work closely with JET’s leaders to unlock the company’s next chapter of growth through innovation and best-in-class execution.”
Bloisi concluded: “On behalf of Prosus and the Supervisory Board of JET, I would like to express our deep appreciation for Jitse for his leadership and commitment over more than two decades. Very few founders can claim to have built a company that reaches this level of scale, impact and relevance.”
