Meet Our Board
Frank Bartelt
Chief Executive Officer
Frank has been Chief Operations Officer of the Spread Group since 2023. Since January 2026, he has served as Interim CEO of the Spread Group. In addition to managing the company, he is also responsible for its commercial operations, alongside his duties as COO. A graduate in business administration, he brings 17 years of professional experience in operations, process management, and supply chain management – including approximately 11 years in the e-commerce sector (e.g., Zalando). In his previous role as COO at Picanova GmbH, Frank was responsible for the various business units of a print-on-demand provider for four years.
Karl Sponholz
Chief Technology Officer
Karl Sponholz has been Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Spread Group since the beginning of 2025. He is responsible for the company’s technological development and drives the group’s AI transformation – from AI-powered software development to innovative solutions for an enhanced customer experience.The business informatics graduate combines operational execution skills with strategic vision and brings over 15 years of leadership experience in the e-commerce, finance, and AI sectors. Before joining the Spread Group, he was Chief Product & Technology Officer of the AVANTGARDE Group, where he led the digital transformation. He also scaled international platforms at Rocket Internet and Groupon and gained extensive experience as a founder building technology-driven companies. He has established himself as a LinkedIn Top Voice in the field of artificial intelligence.
Marcis Verlbergs
Director Customer Service
Marcis Velbergs has been Director of Customer Service at Spread Group since November 2024. In this role, he is responsible for further developing the global customer service strategy and ensuring that customers worldwide enjoy an excellent service experience – from the initial inquiry to long-term customer loyalty. His career has been marked by a clear passion for customer experience, service excellence, and process innovation. Projects such as the implementation of contact center structures and the introduction of process automation demonstrate his knack for combining customer satisfaction with efficiency and technology.