Half of Hema's board ousted by new owners

Dutch Hema is feeling the strength of its new owner Marcel Boekhoorn. Four of the current eight directors have to leave the company in the next few months, they will not be replaced.

“Simplification of the structure”

Marketing director Adriana Hoppebrouwer, country director Netherlands Tico Schneider, logistics director Adrian Porteous and HR director Marielle de Macker will have to leave their position in the next nine months. “According to reliable sources, the board members are blamed for the bad results at Hema, where comparable sales have been falling in recent months”, Dutch business newspaper FD found out. According to the paper, “the measures had been planned for months, but probably were suspended due to the recent acquisition“.

The company itself says this is just a “simplification of the structure” and the “adaptation is necessary to be able to operate more effectively”. After the departure of the four, the management will only consist of CEO Tjeerd Jegen, CFO Ivo Vliegen, international director Richard Flint and buying director Trevor Perren.