Torsten Hufnagel new CEO at Aldi Nord

As expected, Torsten Hufnagel has been named new CEO of Aldi Nord. At the start of this month, Marc Heissinger had suddenly given up his position as top executive at the parent company of all Belgian and Dutch Aldi stores.

“Architect of the programme of modernisation”

Aldi Nord did not have to look long for a successor to 52 year-old Heussinger: as we precicted at his sudden departure, the new CEO will be Torsten Hufnagel. The concern has confirmed it officially, saying it is “giving a clear signal that the modernisation of the company is being continued, with a persistent growth strategy in mind”. Hufnagel (45) has been on the board of directors since 2015 and is considered the architect of the programme of modernisation known as Aniko (“Aldi Nord Instore Konzept”), which is currently being rolled out throughout the Benelux.

When asked why Heussinger suddenly stepped down, Aldi Nord remains unresponsive. According to German business paper Handelsblatt, the growing pressure became too much for the former CEO as the modernisation programme did not go fast enough and there was no real turnover growth. Apart from non-food, Aldi Nord had to deal with a 0.2% loss in the first half of the year, while Aldi Süd grew by 3.3% and major competitor Lidl even gained 6.8%, as Handelsblatt concluded from GfK numbers.