- As of 1 April 2020, Rafael Gasset and Eric Poirier will be appointed to the Management Board of METRO AG to take charge of operations
- Rafael Gasset will be responsible for the Trader countries as Chief Operating Officer (COO) Convenience; Eric Poirier will lead the Horeca countries and Food Service Distribution (FSD) companies as COO Hospitality
- Both are succeeding Philippe Palazzi, who is leaving the company as of 31 March 2020 at his own request
Philippe Palazzi (49) will resign from his position as Chief Operating Officer (COO) on the Management Board of METRO AG with effect from 31 March 2020. Philippe Palazzi is leaving the company at his own request and will move to a CEO role in a globally operating French company in summer 2020. In line with the focus on wholesale and in order to strengthen the operations in METRO’s Management Board the Supervisory Board has nominated two COOs, both coming from within the METRO organisation. Rafael Gasset will be responsible for the Trader countries as COO Convenience; Eric Poirier will lead the Horeca countries and the Food Service Distribution (FSD) companies as COO Hospitality.
"In his position on the Management Board and during his 25-year career at METRO, Philippe Palazzi has successfully supported the business with a lot of energy and great strategic accents," explains Jürgen Steinemann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of METRO AG. "Philippe is a highly regarded member of the METRO team. He has contributed a lot. We would like to thank him most sincerely for his great achievements and his passionate commitment to our company and our customers. We regret his departure and wish Philippe Palazzi all the best for his new tasks outside METRO," adds Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board METRO AG.
With Rafael Gasset and Eric Poirier, two proven experts for the Trader and Horeca customer groups will join the Management Board. "I am pleased that we have been able to win two Operating Partners for the operational management of the company," says Jürgen Steinemann. "Rafael Gasset and Eric Poirier have extensive operational experience in wholesale and a deep understanding of customers. In their various functions within METRO they have demonstrated leadership strength and demonstrated that they can successfully transform the business," explains Olaf Koch.
Rafael Gasset (53) has been a member of the senior management team below the 2 – 2 Management Board (Partnership) since 2015. As Operating Partner he was currently responsible for the national wholesale companies in Russia, Poland, Romania and Moldova. He has been active in various functions within the Group for 12 years, including management positions in Spain and Poland. He has strongly developed the consistent focus on the core customer group Trader and successfully mastered the turnaround in Russia with the local team. In his new role, Rafael Gasset will be responsible for the operational business of the Trader countries as well as for Global Procurement and Retail Franchise. He will also continue to bear direct responsibility for Russia and for the joint venture with Wumei in China.
Eric Poirier (55) has been Operating Partner since July 2018 and is currently responsible for the countries France, Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as for the FSD company Pro à Pro. During his 20-year career at METRO, Eric Poirier has successfully been holding various positions in several countries. Amongst other roles, he was CFO of METRO France and CEO of MAKRO Poland. Under his leadership, Eric Poirier has above all intensified the development of the Horeca segment. He will take over the management of the Horeca countries and the FSD companies Pro à Pro, Rungis Express and Classic Fine Foods as well as the direct country responsibility for France and for the commercial holding functions FSD, Pricing, Customer Experience and Common Value Creation (CVC).
From 1 April 2020, the Management Board of METRO AG will have five members: Olaf Koch (CEO), Christian Baier (CFO), Andrea Euenheim (CHRO) and the two new COOs Rafael Gasset and Eric Poirier.
Philippe Palazzi will be available to the Management Board until 31 May 2020 as advisor for an orderly handover.
METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments that specialises on 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 largeformat stores, order online and collect their purchases at the store or have them delivered. METRO in addition also supports the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and own 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 the European sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The company operates in 34 countries and employs more than 100,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2018/19, METRO generated sales of €27.1 billion. In October 2019, METRO AG signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in METRO China. In September 2018 METRO initiated the divestment process for th
METRO AG
Metro-Straße 1
40235 Düsseldorf
Telefon: +49 211 6886-0
http://www.metrogroup.de
Global Director Corporate Communications
Telefon: +49 (211) 6886-1989
E-Mail: gerd.koslowski@metro.de
