The Management Board of METRO AG

We have outstanding food expertise with more than 150,000 customer-focused employees. Our local business models are based on a unique understanding of the customer and help us to put our customers first and be the catalyst for their success.

Our company is led by an experienced management team with a strong track record in food and business transformation. The board consists of four people.

Olaf Koch

Chairman of the Management Board

*1970 | Nationality: German

Areas of responsibility
Corporate Communications, Corporate Public Policy, Corporate Development including strategy and M&A, Corporate Legal Affairs & Compliance, Corporate Office, Corporate Investor Relations, METRO Wholesale country responsibilities: Bulgaria, Germany including RUNGIS express, Croatia, Moldova, Austria, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Romania, Ukraine, Hungary, HOSPITALITY.digital, METRONOM, METRO MARKETS, Real.

Profile
Olaf Koch has been Chairman of the Management Board of METRO AG since 2 March 2017 and has been appointed until 1 March 2022.

From 1 January 2012 to 12 July 2017, Mr Koch was Chief Executive Officer and from 14 September 2009 until the end of 2011, member of the Management Board (CFO) of the former METRO AG (now CECONOMY AG). He previously worked for the financial investor Permira. His career began in 1994 with a degree in business administration at Daimler-Benz AG. Between 2002 and 2007 he was a member of the executive board of the Mercedes Car Group.

Membership in other statutory supervisory boards of German companies

• Real GmbH (Chairman)

Membership in comparable German and international boards of business enterprises

• Hospitality Digital GmbH - Advisory Board (Chairman)

 

Curriculum Vitae Olaf Koch, PDF 54 KB

Status: 1 October 2019

 

Christian Baier

Chief Financial Officer

*1976 | Nationality: German

Areas of responsibility
Corporate Accounting, Corporate Controlling & Finance, Corporate Risk Management, Corporate Tax, Corporate Treasury, Global Business Services, Group Internal Audit, METRO PROPERTIES, METRO LOGISTICS, MIAG, METRO Insurance Broker.

Profile
Christian Baier has been a member of the Management Board of METRO AG since 11 November 2016 and has been appointed until 30 September 2020.

From 1 July 2015 to 1 March 2017, Mr Baier was Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of METRO Cash & Carry (now METRO Wholesale). Previously, he held the position of Group Director Strategy, Business Innovation and M&A at the former METRO AG (now CECONOMY AG). He joined METRO Cash & Carry Germany (now METRO Germany) in 2011 as a member of the Executive Board / Head of Finance and Administration - C+C Schaper. Previously, the graduate in business administration (BA) and MBA graduate of New York University worked for the financial investor Permira and various banks.

Membership in other statutory supervisory boards of German companies

• Metro Großhandelsgesellschaft mbH

Membership in comparable German and international boards of business enterprises

• Hospitality Digital GmbH - Advisory Board
• METRO Cash & Carry International Holding GmbH, Vösendorf, Austria - Supervisory Board (Chairman)
• METRO Re AG - Supervisory Board (Chairman)

 

Curriculum Vitae Christian Baier, PDF 44 KB

Status: 1 October 2019

 

Heiko Hutmacher

Chief Human Resources Officer and Labour Director

*1957 | Nationality: German

Areas of responsibility
Human Resources (Campus HR, Compensation, Global Mobility & HR Processes, Global Talent Management & Recruiting, HR Operations & Leadership, Labour Relations Germany & Labour Law), METRO CAMPUS SERVICES.

Profile
Heiko Hutmacher has been a member of the Management Board since 2 March 2017, and has been Labor Director of METRO AG since 31 August 2017. His appointment as Labor Director ends on 31 October 2019. Mr. Hutmacher will leave the company at his own request on 31 December 2019.

From 1 October 2011 to 12 July 2017, he was a member of the Management Board of the former METRO AG (now CECONOMY AG) and Labor Director. From April 2012 to June 2015, Mr Hutmacher was also responsible for the Human Resources department of METRO Cash & Carry. The business graduate has more than 30 years of experience in human resources management, including at IBM and Akzo Nobel.

Membership in other statutory supervisory boards of German companies

• Metro Großhandelsgesellschaft mbH
• Real GmbH
• METRO-NOM GmbH (Chairman)

Membership in comparable German and international boards of business enterprises

None

 

Curriculum Vitae Heiko Hutmacher, PDF 55 KB

Status: 1 October 2019

 

Philippe Palazzi

Chief Operating Officer

*1971 | Nationality: French

Areas of responsibility
METRO Wholesale central functions (Digital Transformation, Expansion & Investment, Food Service Distribution, Global Branding & Activation, Global Business & Supplier Management, Global Food Sourcing, Global Non-Food, Global Own Brand Management, International Expansion, Pricing, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain Management, Trader Franchise), METRO Wholesale country responsibilities: Belgium, China, France including Pro à Pro, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Turkey, Classic Fine Foods, Corporate Responsibility, METRO ADVERTISING, METRO SOURCING International.

Profile
Philippe Palazzi has been a member of the Management Board of METRO AG since 7 May 2018 and has been appointed until 30 September 2021.

From 1 July 2015 to 6 May 2018 Mr Palazzi was Operating Partner responsible for METRO France including Pro à Pro, MAKRO Spain and MAKRO Portugal. Before that he was Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at METRO AG and worked in several functions at METRO country organizations, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of METRO Italy.

Membership in other statutory supervisory boards of German companies

None

Membership in comparable German and international boards of business enterprises

• Hospitality Digital GmbH - Advisory Board
• MAKRO Cash and Carry Polska S.A., Warsaw, Poland - Supervisory Board
• METRO Holding France S.A., Vitry-sur-Seine, France - Board of Directors (Chairman)
• METRO FSD France S.A.S., Rungis, France - Board of Directors (Chairman)
• Classic Fine Foods Netherlands B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands - Board of Directors
• METRO Wholesale Myanmar Ltd., Yangon, Myanmar - Board of Directors

 

Curriculum Vitae Philippe Palazzi, PDF 32 KB

Status: 1 October 2019