Vinted appoints Elena Vegelytė as next General Counsel

From promising Startup to market leader

When Vinted was founded in Vilnius in 2008, the company was a small startup with a simple vision: to make second-hand fashion the first choice worldwide. Seventeen years later, it has become a household name across Europe, reshaping the way millions of people buy and sell clothes.

In 2024, Vinted reported consolidated revenues of €813.4 million, up 36% from the previous year, alongside a remarkable net profit increase of 330%, rising from €17.8 million to €76.7 million. These figures underscore a business model that has proven not only sustainable but also highly scalable.

This profitability marks a turning point for the company. For years, Vinted pursued intensive international growth, often prioritizing user acquisition and product innovation over short-term financial returns. The decision has paid off: today, the company operates across multiple European markets, boasts more than 2,000 employees, and runs offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Kaunas, Prague, and its Vilnius headquarters.

The dual role of the legal team

Back in 2022, at Leaders League’s flagship Private Equity Exchange conference in Paris, I spoke with members of the company’s legal department. On that occasion, Marion Savary, Vinted’s IP legal manager at the time, emphasized the importance of ESG considerations and anti-counterfeiting measures, stating that “Vinted maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards counterfeit goods.”

Her comments reflected the dual role the legal team was already playing: safeguarding brand integrity while supporting rapid international scaling. “The legal department had the maturity and foresight of a group destined for success,” we noted then. Three years on, those predictions have proven accurate.

A new General Counsel at a defining moment

In this context, the appointment of Elena Vegelytė as general counsel marks both continuity and renewal for the company’s legal leadership. Vegelytė, who joined Vinted in 2018, was promoted to associate general counsel in 2021. Her elevation to GC comes after nearly eight years of service, during which she rotated through three departments, managed crises, and contributed to major milestones in the company’s growth.

Announcing her new role on LinkedIn, she highlighted her pragmatic approach to legal practice: “I’ve always believed that being a lawyer isn’t about saying what’s not possible, but finding creative ways to make things happen. My own journey at Vinted is proof of that — in my last eight years here I worked in three departments, managed quite a few crises, and had the chance to help shape some of our biggest milestones.”

Vegelytė succeeds Catherine Brel, who joined the company in 2021 and led the legal team for four years. Based in Paris, Brel brought significant experience from in-house positions at Groupe Renault, eBay, and Amazon. She was instrumental in professionalizing Vinted’s legal department during a period of intense international growth.

Navigating complex challenges

As Vinted scales, the role of the general counsel extends well beyond legal compliance. Key priorities include:

• Counterfeit prevention: The platform has consistently reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy toward counterfeit items. With over 100 million registered users, the challenge lies in balancing user trust with scalable enforcement mechanisms.

• Regulatory compliance: From the EU’s Digital Services Act to evolving consumer protection laws, the legal team must anticipate and navigate a shifting regulatory landscape across multiple jurisdictions.

• ESG & sustainability: As a pioneer in circular fashion, Vinted is well-positioned to capitalize on sustainability trends. However, legal oversight is essential to ensure that its environmental messaging is consistent with EU standards on green claims and consumer communication.

• M&A & oartnerships: The company’s strong balance sheet and rising profitability may open the door to strategic acquisitions, partnerships, or even an eventual IPO — all of which require sophisticated legal input.

In this environment, the GC role becomes central not just to risk mitigation but also to strategy execution.

A model for the circular economy

Beyond its financial success, Vinted represents a broader cultural shift toward sustainable consumption. By making second-hand clothing accessible, affordable, and fashionable, the company has tapped into a growing consumer demand for ethical choices.

This is particularly relevant in the context of European ESG policies, which are pushing companies across sectors to reduce waste and lower their carbon footprints. Vinted’s platform provides a tangible example of how digital marketplaces can align profitability with sustainability.

Legal leadership will play a key role in ensuring that this alignment remains robust. Issues such as greenwashing, data protection, and consumer rights are increasingly scrutinized by regulators and watchdogs. Vegelytė’s track record of balancing creative solutions with legal rigor suggests she is well-prepared for the challenge.

Looking Ahead

With 2024 marking its most profitable year yet, Vinted now finds itself in a position to consolidate its leadership in Europe while exploring new frontiers. Whether through geographic expansion, new product categories, or strategic partnerships, the company is expected to continue its growth trajectory.

Internally, the legal team remains at the heart of these developments. From intellectual property to compliance and ESG, Vinted’s lawyers are tasked with ensuring that the company’s global ambitions remain grounded in legal certainty.

The appointment of Elena Vegelytė as GC symbolizes both a generational shift and the company’s growing maturity. It reflects the importance of empowering leaders who know the organization inside out, and who can translate its entrepreneurial spirit into sustainable governance.

As the company moves forward, its ability to balance creativity with compliance may well define the next chapter of its success story. And with profitability, scale, and sustainability now firmly within its grasp, Vinted appears better positioned than ever to live up to its founding promise: making second-hand fashion the first choice worldwide.

Sophie Stevenard

Further reading: Our 2022 interview with Vinted’s IP Director, Marion Savary, on the company’s anti-counterfeiting strategy: Vinted maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards counterfeit goods.