Dear visitor,
To provide you with the best possible service, we use cookies. Some cookies are necessary for the operation of the website. Other cookies for anonymous statistics, language preferences or the display of third-party content are optional. Depending on your choice, your consent also includes a transfer of data to recipients in third countries without an adequate level of data protection, such as the USA in particular, with the risk of access by authorities there without legal recourse. Under Data Privacy, you will find further information and can adjust the settings for cookies at any time.

Press ReleaseManagement BoardSupervisory Board

The Supervisory Board of METRO AG appoints Steffen Greubel as new CEO

08 February 2021Download

After a thorough executive search, the Supervisory Board of METRO has unanimously voted to appoint Steffen Greubel (47) as the new CEO. He succeeds Olaf Koch, who left the company on December 31, 2020.

Steffen Greubel
  • Steffen Greubel to become CEO as of May 1, 2021
  • New CEO to lead next phase of METRO’s growth as pure wholesale business
Since January 1, 2021, Christian Baier (CFO) and Rafael Gasset (COO) have jointly assumed the role of interim CEO. Steffen Greubel will take up his office at METRO on May 1, 2021. He is currently a Member of the Managing Board of Würth Group.

Steffen Greubel brings broad expertise to his new role: He is a strong leader with relevant wholesale experience as well as robust and deep knowledge of the changing wholesale sector. He joins from Würth Group, a fast-growing and profitable family business, highly respected for its strong entrepreneurial spirit and customer-oriented culture. Steffen Greubel led the core business and oversaw all strategic board projects, including the digital transformation agenda.

Prior to that, Steffen Greubel was a partner in the European Retail & Consumer Goods practice at McKinsey & Company. In addition, he had a functional focus on sales, operations, and transformation. In this role, he also advised METRO.

Juergen Steinemann, Chairman of METRO’s Supervisory Board: “The Supervisory Board is pleased to welcome Steffen Greubel as METRO’s new Chief Executive Officer. Steffen Greubel is the right CEO to successfully lead the next phase of METRO as a pure wholesale business. He stands for strong leadership, knows the challenges of the wholesale business and has detailed insights from his role as an advisor to the Retail and Consumer Goods industry. We support his customer-centric approach and understanding that simplification, operational excellence, and a strong execution focus will drive growth for METRO.“

Steffen Greubel comments: “I am excited to take up the role as CEO at METRO at the start of its next chapter as focused wholesale business. I am fully committed to accelerate growth while creating value for METROs customers and shareholders.”

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specialises in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders. Around the world, METRO has some 16 million customers who can choose whether to shop in one of the large-format stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and independent businesses with digital solutions and thereby contributes to cultural diversity in retail and hospitality. Sustainability is a key pillar of METRO’s business. METRO has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 7 consecutive years. The company operates in 34 countries and employs more than 97,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2019/20, METRO generated sales of €25.6 billion.