June 2 2022  |  Retailers

Gebr Heinemann forms Co-CEO structure to strengthen new mission statement

By Jane Hobson

Max Heinemann (pictured left) and Raoul Spanger will act as Co-CEOs from 1 July

Gebr Heinemann is set to expand its Executive Board on 1 July 2022 to “better respond to the challenges and changes in the industry and thus simultaneously drive the implementation of the new mission statement”.

Max Heinemann and Raoul Spanger will act as Co-CEOs from this date and share the responsibilities as spokespeople for the Executive Board.

Max Heinemann, who is the fifth generation of the family-owned firm on the Executive Board, will focus on the strategic development of the Heinemann Group as well as travel retail, also with a view to new partnerships beyond the industry, the German operator said in a press release issued today (2 June).

Raoul Spanger will assume responsibility for the global core business. The Asian subsidiary Heinemann Asia Pacific will continue to report directly to Spanger.

"Our company has a long tradition and track record of the Co-CEO structure. This was the case with my father and my uncle and also with their fathers," said Max Heinemann. "At the same time, we are thus continuing the harmonious interaction of the owner family with external managers – if, in the case of Raoul Spanger, one can even speak of an external manager after more than 30 years in the company."

Florian Seidel will join the Executive Board in the newly created position of Chief Sales Officer

Also on 1 July, Florian Seidel will join the Executive Board in the newly created position of Chief Sales Officer.

Seidel has been with Gebr Heinemann since 1997 and was recently responsible for the regions Nordics, Central and Western Europe as well as the cruise and ferry sales channel as Vice President Sales.

"We are convinced of our business model and believe in travel retail,” Spanger said. “We want to further expand the mainstay of our global core business with our usual strengths in retail and distribution. With the new function of Chief Sales Officer, we will be even more focused on our customers and the different markets in the future. I am pleased that with Florian we have such an experienced colleague and long-time Heinemann in our team."

At the beginning of the year, the Hamburg-based family business announced that CFO Stephan Ernst would be leaving Gebr Heinemann after more than 20 successful years.

Dr Kai Deneke, who until then had been responsible for the Heinemann Group's financial controlling, will take over as Chief Financial Officer on 1 July 2022.

Chief Commercial Officer Dr Dirk Schneider will continue to be responsible for Purchasing, Global Supply Chain, Marketing and Commercial Effectiveness.

"This Executive Board line-up makes a great team,” enthused Max Heinemann. “We have worked very closely together during the crisis of the last two years and I am more than excited that together we will lead Gebr Heinemann into a successful future. In this constellation we want to open up new business potential and new customer segments – with the traveler at the center of everything we do. We will continue to play a formative and sometimes provocative role in the industry, because one of our four guiding principles is ‘We create change’ and that is exactly what we will do."

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