Belgian takes charge of Galeria Inno group

Generational change at the top

Metro Group has executed a generational change at the top of Galeria Kaufhof: current CEO Lovro Mandac (64) will step aside after nearly 20 years in charge and will be replaced by 38-year old Belgian Olivier Van den Bossche, the former chief sales, HR officer and managing director of Inno NV. He was appointed CEO yesterday.

Lovro Mandac will not disappear entirely as he will now become president of Galeria Holding GmbH and will also become the chairman of Galeria Kaufhof’s board.

Dutch chief of sales

Galeria Kaufhof will also get a new chief of sales, Dutch-born Edo Beukema, who has had the same position at De Bijenkorf up until now. He will succeed Thomas Storck, who will head to Metro to fill the newly-created position of Chief Solution Officer, combined with the position of Chief Information Officer. He will have to make sure the company transforms digitally.

Galeria Kaufhof has 21,500 employees and runs 105 department stores and 17 sports stores in Germany. Its Belgian presence consists of 15 department stores.

Reshuffle in Brussels

Olivier Van den Bossche’s new position means that Inno will have to reshuffle its management. Rami Al Assouad (chief buying officer and managing director) has now become Galeria Inno’s executive committee’s speaker.

Laurence Willems has joined that committee and will lead the HR, social relations and legal departments as Chief HR Officer. Tom Van Hese will lead sales and facilities, while Arnaud Moerenhout, chief financial officer and managing director, completes Inno’s executive committee.