Bastian Balzer is Director of Direct Sales at Kaufland e-commerce, where he is responsible for the direct-to-consumer business. His e-commerce career began 16 years ago at Hitmeister—a pioneer in the German marketplace landscape. After five years at Amazon, he returned to the company and witnessed Kaufland’s transformation into an international platform player. His Brand Relations team opens doors for brands looking to leverage marketplaces strategically. He is driven by the conviction that strong brands and strong platforms can only win together.