Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has joined the supervisory board of the company that runs the Russian supermarket chain formerly belonging to German retailer Globus, Russian news outlet RBC reported on Friday.
Schroeder formed a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin while serving as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and later working for Russian state companies.
The Russian business he is joining, Hyperglobus, left Globus Holding in 2025 and is owned by Thomas Bruch, the former head of Globus. The Russian supermarkets still use the Globus brand.
Schroeder will be responsible for supporting the strategic development of the business, RBC cited the company as saying.
Temporary Administration
The report came four days after Moscow placed the Russian assets of another big German retailer, Metro AG, under temporary administration.
In a statement following that announcement, Metro AG said that ‘even though the ownership of Metro Russia formally remains with Metro AG, the decree means that Metro itself no longer has operational control’.
The wholesale giant added that it is currently evaluating the implications of the Russian government’s decision.
Globus Spin-Off
Globus Holding said it had fully spun off its Russian hypermarkets and that they are legally and operationally independent. It said questions should be directed to Hyperglobus.
Hyperglobus and Schroeder did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Putin said earlier this year that Schroeder would be his preferred interlocutor for talks on new security arrangements for Europe, an idea sharply rejected by the European Union.
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