Saskia Egas Reparaz to become Hema's new CEO

The takeover of Hema by the Jumbo family Van Eerd and Parcom also has direct consequences for the chain’s management: there will be a new CEO, and three of five supervisory board members will be replaced.

Innovative approach

Current CEO Tjeerd Jegen, who led Hema for six years, will hand on the torch to Saskia Egas Reparaz, who is currently CEO of drugstore chain Etos. The new CEO has more than twenty years of experience at Ahold Delhaize, of which three years as marketing director, writes Business Insider.

“In recent years, she has successfully helped Etos develop into a leading omnichannel brand with a strong online position and a unique image. Saskia Egas Reparaz is widely appreciated for her unifying qualities and customer-oriented, innovative approach that puts growth first,” the new Hema owners state in a press release.

Different vision

The appointing of a new CEO does certainly not come as a complete surprise. Under Jegen’s leadership, Hema heavily invested in foreign expansion, with stores in Spain, the United Kingdom and even the United Arab Emirates. That strategy does not align with the vision of the Van Eerd family. They want Hema to focus primarily on its home markets, particularly the Benelux and France. Those markets account for about ninety per cent of the chain’s turnover, but in recent years, sales have systematically declined.

According to Belgian newspaper De Tijd, the transfer of power will take place this summer. Until then, Jegen will remain in charge. The takeover itself would be completed next week. It is beyond dispute that a heavy task awaits Saskia Egas Reparaz. Due to the lockdown in the Netherlands, the retailer is currently suffering losses of around ten million euros every week. The retail chain has also cancelled all current orders until mid-April.