The German-based retailer Real Hypermarket, that runs a 25-unit chain in Romania, said it appointed Thierry Guillon-Verne as food purchasing director and Christian Gopfert as chief operating officer.
Thierry Guillon-Verne (photo) will succeed Kurt Kamp who served in this post for only one year and a half.
“With an extensive management experience in the retail industry, of over 19 years, 10 of which spent in Asia (Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand) and five years in Germany, Guillon-Verne has been Carrefour’s strategy director at the retailer’s head office in France”, the company said.
The new manager graduated from the International Trade Academy Chambre de Commerce and d’Industrie de Paris and has a certificate in Business International from Fachhochschule Reutlingen - F.H. University of Germany.
The retailer has also named Christian Gopfert as chief operating officer who will replace Andreea Lupea, who left his post “to pursue personal projects”.
Christian Gopfert joined Metro in July 2005 as project manager at Real International and was promoted to chief operating officer on the retailer’s operations in Poland. Prior to taking the post in Romania, he had been serving as COO Real Ukraine since January 2007.
In 2009, the retailer recorded 5.2% growth in sales, to €671 million. Last year, Real opened four units that represented an investment of €100 million. At the end of 2009, Real Hypermarket had a headcount of 8,736. Real Hypermarket Romania opened its first unit in Timisoara in March 2006.
