David Brackin is a contributing editor to ChannelX and founder of StuffUSell and sits down with the new CEO of Linnworks, Jon Bahl, to discuss all things ecommerce
I first met founders Fedor and Artem in 2012 and I’ve been a user of Linnworks software since then, closely following how it has developed over the years. It was a delight to meet the new CEO, Jon Bahl, in London last week to hear his plans for what comes next.
Who are you, and where do you come from?
Jon Bahl: First off, thank you for taking the time to meet with me, and for being a long-time loyal customer.
I always start with family. My wife and I have been together for over 20 years, and we have two teenage kids: my daughter is almost 17 and just starting to drive, and my son is 15. It is a fun chapter of life.
Professionally, I have spent the last 20-25 years in software, and the last 15 in what I would call mission-driven software businesses, companies that support people doing good work. That has included non-profit software, foundation management software, and healthcare.
At first glance, people do not think of e-commerce as mission-driven. But I do. Linnworks has done a phenomenal job supporting small and medium-sized business owners. Having worked in businesses of that scale myself, I know it takes the right partner. Linnworks has always thought about its mission in lockstep with entrepreneurs, helping them meet and hopefully exceed their goals. That sense of mission is what makes our employees so passionate, and it resonated strongly with me as I considered my next role.
If you had to capture your vision for Linnworks in just one sentence, what would it be?
Jon Bahl: I will answer in two sentences.
Internally: to build a culture with great people, coached and developed to grow their careers and, in turn, support our customers in a phenomenal way.
Externally: to be the market leader in automating the e-commerce order management lifecycle, with a focus on small and medium-sized businesses, helping them exceed their own expectations of success.
Expanding on that, what sort of culture do you want to build at Linnworks, and what internal behaviours will you most encourage and reward?
Jon Bahl: The leadership team is still formalising our values, but for me, the essentials are collaboration, cross-functional working, and customer focus.
Over the past 60 days, I have also been emphasising three priorities: pace, rigour, and accountability. Linnworks has had tremendous initiatives, but sometimes we have fallen short on execution. By driving pace, rigour, and accountability, I want us to keep generating great ideas and also execute them at the highest level.
Those qualities are not in tension with collaboration or customer focus. In fact, they go hand in hand. Working cross-functionally and letting the customer voice prioritise our work helps us move faster and execute better.
Turning to your other goal, in a space full of competitors, from NetSuite to Brightpearl and even Shopify’s own ecosystem, what do you see as Linnworks’ sharpest edge?
Jon Bahl: First, our people. Our tenure at Linnworks is phenomenal, and when I held roundtables with every employee in my first couple of months, what struck me most was the commitment. It is unmatched in the marketplace. That level of passion is inspiring.
Second, our product. Our focus is on providing a comprehensive suite that manages the entire order lifecycle. Many competitors are point solutions that only solve one piece of the puzzle. ERP systems can do more, but they are often harder to use, less intuitive, and more complex. Linnworks offers breadth and depth, but in a way that is easier to implement. We get customers live quickly, and we back that up with connections to hundreds of channels and marketplaces so they can grow without friction.
For small and medium-sized businesses especially, the appeal is clear. They do not want to juggle five different tools. They want a partner that can handle end-to-end order management, simply and effectively.
How do you plan to involve customers and partners in shaping the roadmap, and what is the best way for merchants to give you unfiltered feedback?
Jon Bahl: Honestly, just reach out to me.
I want to model the behaviours I expect from the organisation. In the last week alone, I visited four customers in Tennessee, walking their warehouses to understand their businesses. This week, I will meet two of our largest customers in London, host a user group of 25 customers, and sit down with partners and prospects for dinner alongside our conference.
Programmatically, we will continue with annual customer surveys, regular user groups, “voice of the customer” sessions with our product team, and an improved portal for feedback. Even the Genius Bar at trade shows is part of this, letting people share input directly. The critical part is closing the loop, responding to feedback, and making sure it informs the roadmap and the customer experience.
What is your message to the many loyal multichannel sellers who rely on Linnworks every day?
Jon Bahl: First, thank you. Loyalty is earned, and we want to keep earning it.
Second, customer success is our focus. If our customers are successful with our platform, we succeed together.
Finally, please keep the feedback coming. Your voice has to be central to our strategy. This is not about revolution or tearing things up. It is about evolution: doubling down on what already works, strong retention and a solid product strategy, and making it even better.
What is one promise you feel comfortable making, and one area where Linnworks will be stretched but you will commit to trying to deliver?
Jon Bahl: A comfortable promise: we will continue moving quickly to support new channels. We were first to market with Temu, first with Shein, and that speed matters. Our commitment is to keep moving at that pace.
The stretch goal: managing the voice of 3,000 customers with unique needs and use cases. Prioritising fairly is hard. We will have to make choices for the greater good of all customers. That will stretch us, but it is a commitment we are making.
If we were speaking again in September 2026, what do you hope customers and partners will say has changed most under your leadership?
Jon Bahl: Stronger communication and clarity, better execution, and an even sharper focus on customer service.
Closing Thoughts
For anyone considering multi-platform ecommerce, Linnworks still earns its place on the shortlist for consideration. Jon Bahl brings a blend of SaaS growth experience and a mission-driven mindset to Linnworks. His focus on culture, execution, and customer voice points to an evolution rather than a revolution, a steady sharpening of Linnworks’ strengths to help loyal sellers grow. I look forward to picking up with him over the next 12 months to see how he has an impact on the business and hearing feedback from users about how he is doing!
