Metro boss Steffen Greubel resigns after differences over company direction

Dusseldorf. Metro boss Steffen Greubel is throwing in the towel after differences over the future direction of the wholesale group. Greubel, who has been in office since May 2021, has asked the Supervisory Board to terminate his contract at the end of the current financial year on September 30, 2026, the Düsseldorf-based group announced on Wednesday. “There are different ideas about the future direction,” said Greubel, explaining his move.

Greubel's successor is to be the former Aldi manager and current Metro CFO Eric Riegger. He has “special expertise in the areas of cost efficiency and profitability,” said Supervisory Board Chairman Roman Silha.

Metro was taken over by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky last year, and the former DAX group disappeared from the stock exchange in April 2026. Kretinsky grew up in the energy industry and has also invested in a number of trading companies in Europe such as the French Casino.

Greubel had concentrated the once widely branched group on the wholesale business, relying on restaurateurs and hoteliers. He had significantly boosted the chain's sales. “The supervisory board extremely regrets its decision,” explained Silha. Successor Riegger announced that he now wanted to “sustainably strengthen” Metro’s profitability.

The wholesaler is active in over 30 countries and employs more than 84,000 people worldwide. In the 2024/25 financial year, Metro generated sales of around 32.4 billion euros.