Bart Karis, Zeeman textielSupers‘ general manager, has decided to leave the company at the end of the year, Zeeman said in a press release. It has not yet appointed a successor.
Road to growth
Karis (58) has worked for Zeemand textielSupers since 2007 and guided the company through some harsh economic times. He is the architect of the company’s current strategy and spent a lot of time and effort to create a specific company culture. He wanted to strengthen the Zeeman brand identity, both internally and externally, and also wanted to achieve international expansion.
He led Zeeman to growth thanks to its increased relevance to an ever-wider range of consumers, both locally and in new markets. Zeeman currently has 1,290 stores in seven European countries, with 750 outside of the Netherlands.
New challenges
Bart Karis said this about his departure: “After more than ten years at the helm of this wonderful family business, it is time for a new challenge. I would like to have the space and time to discover my options, but until the end of this year, I will fully focus on the transition to my successor, so that he can have an optimal start.”
Chairman of the board of commissioners, Jaap Lagerweij, added: “The board of commissioners owes Bart Karis a lot of gratitude for what he did for Zeeman textielSupers over the past ten years. His leadership guided the company though difficult economic times, but he also strengthened our formula’s position a lot. We wish him all the best in the rest of his career.”
