Gerhard Schröder becomes a member of the supervisory board of the Russian supermarket chain Hyperglobus

Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has become a member of the supervisory board of the Russian supermarket chain Hyperglobus. The company announced that he was accepted onto the supervisory board by the shareholders on September 30th. Schröder should therefore support the strategic development of the company and be involved in the overall management.

Hyperglobus was originally a subsidiary of the German group Globus, but spun off in 2025 and has operated formally independently since then. The owner is the German entrepreneur Thomas Bruch, former managing director of Globus and part of the owner family. The supermarkets in Russia are still called Globus. Bruch was among the German entrepreneurs who took part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in May, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Schröder: “Important” to maintain the relationship

About the choice, Bruch said that Schröder's many years of experience in Russian political and economic life will allow the company to pursue a "dialogue-oriented approach." According to Russian media reports, Schröder himself is also quoted in the company's statement. “Especially in times of crisis” it is important to maintain relations with Russia, he said. They would make it possible to “listen to each other and find ways into the future.”

Schröder has maintained a close relationship with Putin since his term as Chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and worked for several Russian state-owned companies after his political career. Until May 2022, he was chairman of the supervisory board of the state oil company Rosneft. Then he resigned from the mandate. The EU Parliament had previously voted to put Schröder on a sanctions list if he stuck to his position in Russian companies despite the war in Ukraine.