Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC (ООО «Гиперглобус»), which operates the Globus hypermarket chain in Russia, according to reports by the Kremlin-aligned publications RBC and Kommersant, both of which cited company representatives.
The decision was made at a meeting of the company’s shareholders. Schröder will help oversee the “strategic development” of the company’s business in Russia.
Thomas Bruch, owner of Giperglobus and a shareholder in the Germany-based Globus group, said Schröder was appointed thanks to his many years of experience in Russia’s political and economic life. His perspective would help the company maintain a “dialogue-oriented approach” under current conditions, RBC quoted Bruch as saying.
Globus hypermarkets remain among the relatively few foreign retailers still operating in Russia after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In January 2025, Giperglobus LLC left Germany’s Globus Holding, but the Russian company continues to use the Globus brand and has the same shareholders as the German chain.
Other foreign retailers, including Metro Cash & Carry, Auchan, and Lemana PRO (formerly Leroy Merlin) also continue to operate in Russia — however, their Russian businesses were placed under “temporary management” in September.
Schröder has maintained ties to Russia, including a personal relationship with Vladimir Putin. In May, Putin named Schröder as an example of a European figure he would consider to be an acceptable mediator in talks involving Ukraine.
