Lidl chief executive Jesper Højer has stepped down from his post, after two years at the helm of the discounter.
Højer’s departure was confirmed in a statement from Lidl, in which the Dane said that he was stepping down as chief executive and departing the group 'with immediate effect'.
“I am proud to have worked for many years in various international positions for such a dynamic company as Lidl, and to have contributed to the success of the past few years,” he said.
“The decision to make my position available was not easy for me, but it's time to realign my family and professional future,” Højer added.
Change Of Management
Højer, who has been on Lidl’s board since 2015, took on the CEO role in early 2017, following the departure of Sven Seidel, who left the discounter due to disagreements with its owners on the future direction of the business.
Deputy purchasing director Ignazio Paternó has been named as interim boss until a full-time CEO is found.
Højer’s departure follows just weeks after Patrick Kaudewitz resigned as the CEO of Kaufland, Lidl’s sister company in the Schwarz Group.
Last month also saw a reformatting of the management structure at Schwarz Group.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
