Behind the Wheel: Meet Dmitri Zadorojnii

Role: Chief Executive Officer, Management Board

“When I look back to 2011, I still remember the raw energy of my first few days and that day-1 startup spirit I was drawn to. (…) Having been here for nearly 15 years, I’ve seen AUTODOC transform from a startup business into a robust European player with the discipline to lead the automotive aftermarket.”

My growth journey with AUTODOC

When I look back to 2011, I still remember the raw energy of my first few days and that day-1 startup spirit I was drawn to. When I first walked through AUTODOC doors, I remember thinking: this will be a long run with a lot of fun.

During the time I was the person responsible for our technology, I had the privilege of working closely with our founders in those early days, and I was constantly inspired by their vision and persistence. Watching them navigate the immense ambiguity of building a business from scratch taught me that vision is nothing without the discipline to execute. I learned early on that high-speed growth requires constant structural refinement, a lesson that has shaped my leadership approach ever since.

Back then, my focus was to build a proper team able to provide speed of development and maximum level of stability. I spent my days building the infrastructure along with my colleagues, talented engineers, and we all loved that. It became much more than a job – it was a passion and curiosity. My trajectory, from building our digital foundation for 11 years to leading our global strategy today, has been one of the greatest accomplishments of my professional life.

However, that deep history has also given me a clear-eyed view of what we must fix. Today, our leadership team is focused on shaping our own path to scale. By proactively strengthening our core and driving intentional operational efficiency, we are ensuring AUTODOC is fit for the future and positioned to grow from strength to strength.

Dmitri is #ProudToBeAUTODOC

Having been here for nearly 15 years, I’ve seen AUTODOC transform from a startup business into a robust European player with the discipline to lead the automotive aftermarket. From those first lines of code to a powerhouse serving 9.3 million active customers.

We’ve professionalised and scaled across 27 markets, but for me, the thrill remains the same: using technology to solve real-world problems for people who just want to keep their cars on the road.

Looking ahead

I’ve seen this company from every angle, from the database level to the boardroom, and my belief in our mission has only grown stronger. Every time we hit a new milestone, I see the years of structural work and technological innovation that paved the way for us to stand where we are today.

However, the world around us is changing at an unprecedented pace, from shifting market conditions to the transformative power of AI. In this environment, we must act with intention, shaping our own path before external circumstances force our hand. We are choosing to lead the market, rather than simply reacting to it.

My commitment is to ensure that, as we grow, we maintain our courage to innovate while anchoring that innovation in operational excellence.