Selecting my next CPO role · limited advisory capacity
Product leadership that turns scale into profit.
I’m Zoltán Petres, a product executive with 15+ years scaling marketplaces and AI-native platforms at Bolt, OLX, trivago and CEEZER. I take businesses from scale to profit, and build the teams that keep them there.
- ▲ Bolt Delivery€1.5B+GMV run-rate taken to full profitability
- ▲ Bolt Delivery−30%unit operational cost with production ML
- ▲ OLX Europe200M+monthly active users on the platform I led
- ▲ Gravity R&D400M+recommendations served every day
01 · The route
Seven chapters, one direction: platforms that pay for themselves.
- 012026SVP of ProductRepositioned a climate-procurement platform as an AI-native, tech-enabled services business.
- 022022 to 2025Vertical CPO, Bolt DeliveryTook a three-sided food and grocery marketplace to full profitability at €1.5B+ GMV.
- 032019 to 2022Director of Product, Core Classified Experience (EU)Called the classifieds decline early and moved the platform to transactions.
- 042016 to 2019Head of Product, Hotel Search → Global Product Lead, User ProfilingBuilt trivago’s first production personalization stack from zero in six months.
- 052014 to 2016Head of Metasearch ProductTurned around a metasearch product to 80 to 120% year-over-year growth.
- 062009 to 2014Gravity R&DVP Product & Strategic Business DevelopmentTook a research spin-off into the global top three in recommendation engines.
- 072004 to 2009Research & VenturesResearcher, Project Lead, Investment AnalystWhere it started: AI, robotics and building the investment case for a start-up.
02 · Ways to work together
A permanent seat first. Sharp, short mandates in between.
- Interim CPOFull-time leadership for a defined mission, with a clean handover.Full-time
- Fractional CPOSenior product leadership one or two days a week.1 to 2 days a week
- AdvisoryA sparring partner for founders, CEOs and boards.A few hours a month
- CoachingOne-to-one coaching for product leaders stepping up.Every two weeks
- Talks & workshopsKeynotes and hands-on workshops for leadership teams.A single day
03 · Operating principles
How I run a product organization.
- 01
One filter for every investment.
Strategic differentiation for sustainable growth, and the shortest path to profitability. At Bolt Delivery that meant holding R&D to a 3x+ return bar.
- 02
Stop well-liked things.
Protecting unit economics and commercial focus sometimes means ending the projects people are proudest of. I have done it, and explained why.
- 03
AI in production, not in decks.
Generative menu building and a key-account agent for merchants, dispatch and forecasting models for couriers. Judged by cost-to-serve, not by demos.
- 04
Product speaks the language of the P&L.
Revenue per FTE as the organizing metric, roadmap investment tied to unit economics, product metrics connected to trading volume.
- 05
Leaders are measured by the leaders they grow.
Rated top of scale on coaching and development. PM career frameworks built and actually used, and handovers left complete.
04 · Foundations
Trained as a scientist. Practised as an operator.
- 2007PhD, Computer Science & ITUniversity of Tokyo · Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsSumma cum laude. Werner von Siemens Excellence Award for the thesis.
- 2009MSc, Business AdministrationCorvinus University of Budapest
- 2004MSc, Computer Science & ITBudapest University of Technology and EconomicsSumma cum laude. Thesis on AI timetable optimization, written at TU Delft.
Languages
- HungarianNative
- EnglishFluent
- GermanIntermediate