Mercari Names Jeff LeBeau US CEO As Marketplace Turnaround Continues
Mercari is making another change at the top of its US marketplace, naming Jeff LeBeau Chief Executive Officer of Mercari US, effective July 1, 2026.
LeBeau is currently Vice President of Growth at Mercari US and will take over from Shintaro Yamada, who stepped in to directly lead the US business in January 2025 after former US CEO John Lagerling resigned at the end of 2024.
Yamada will continue leading the overall Mercari Group as Representative Executive Officer and CEO, while LeBeau takes the reins of the US marketplace at a pivotal point in the company’s turnaround.
Mercari says the new management structure is intended to accelerate decision making and business execution as the company adapts to changes brought about by advances in AI and aims for further growth in its US business.
Mercari US has spent the last two years trying to recover from poor performance and a disastrous 2024 fee strategy rolled out under previous leadership that shifted the cost burden away from sellers and onto buyers.
That change may have boosted the number of listings on the site, but it failed to deliver the buyer and GMV results Mercari had hoped for, leading to widespread user complaints, abandoned cart concerns, a mass layoff of 45% of US staff, and eventually Lagerling’s resignation.
Liz Morton
Yamada’s direct oversight coincided with a major course correction in January 2025, when Mercari moved to a new fee structure that split costs between buyers and sellers.
Liz Morton
The reversal appears to have helped stabilize the business.
Mercari US reported its first-ever full-year profit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, posting a full-year profit of 900 million JPY after years of losses since launching in the US in 2014.
More recent results showed US GMV rising 12% year over year to about $196 million in the quarter, while the business held to break-even profitability with a modest core operating profit of 600 million JPY, though slower user growth continues to be a key constraint on the US business.
Liz Morton
LeBeau’s challenge will be turning financial discipline into stronger buyer demand, improved retention, and renewed seller confidence without reigniting the fee and trust issues that helped push users away in the first place.
Mercari has been leaning into category-specific growth, CRM-driven coupons, seller tools, safety improvements, and discovery updates as it works to rebuild momentum.
Entertainment and hobby categories, especially trading cards and collectibles, have continued to show strength, while fashion has become a larger part of the US strategy through efforts like the Fashion Exchange pilot and shipping improvements aimed at lowering barriers for secondhand clothing purchases.
The opportunity is clear, but so is the competition. eBay, Poshmark, Depop, Vinted, and others are all fighting for overlapping resale dollars in collectibles, fashion, and other key categories.
Mercari has now shown it can cut costs, recalibrate fees, and move the US business closer to consistent profitability, but it still has to prove it can win back active buyers at scale.
LeBeau’s background in product, analytics, business operations, and growth could be what Mercari US needs to improve conversion, personalization, category experience, buyer trust, and repeat usage.
What do you think of Jeff LeBeau taking over as Mercari US CEO? Are you seeing stronger sales or buyer activity on the platform, or does Mercari still have more work to do to win back buyers and sellers? Let us know in the comments below!
