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Jan Kunath
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REWE Group
Jan Kunath, Deputy CEO, will leave the Management Board of the REWE Group at the end of 2025

Jan Kunath (59) has decided not to extend his contract, which expires at the end of 2025. There will be an orderly transition: his agendas will be handed over within the REWE Group Management Board. The Divisional Directors Full-range Austria, Full-range CEE and PENNY International will report to CEO Lionel Souque, while the DIY store business segment (toom) will be assigned to Christoph Eltze's Management Board.

"With Jan Kunath, a managerial personality who has played a decisive role in shaping our company for more than 30 years in both national and international business will be leaving REWE Group at the end of 2025," emphasises Erich Stockhausen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of REWE Group. He has contributed his broad industry, restructuring and modernisation expertise in various top management positions in the full-range, discount, wholesale, REWE digital, purchasing and DIY store business segments and has contributed with full commitment and passion to REWE Group's consistent and sustainable success today. "On behalf of all shareholders and the entire Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Jan Kunath most sincerely for his decades of service and loyalty to our company, which cannot be taken for granted," said Stockhausen.

Jan Kunath, born in 1965, married and father of two, started his career at REWE Group in 1992 and initially held various management positions in the sales department and merchandise. in 2004, the business administration graduate became CEO of the Bon Appetit Group (CH), and in 2006 he was appointed to the Management Board of REWE International. in 2007 he returned to Germany and from 2007 to 2009 was Chairman of the full-range national management. In May 2009, he was appointed General Representative of REWE Group for B2B and Speciality Stores (DIY stores and consumer electronics). In September 2010, he was appointed Chief Representative of REWE Group and Chairman of the Management Board of PENNY National. He has been a member of the REWE Group Management Board since 1 January 2011 and Deputy CEO of the REWE Group since 1 July 2017, responsible for Retail International (full-range Austria, full-range CEE, PENNY International) and the DIY store business segment (toom).

REWE Group CEO Lionel Souque would also like to thank Jan Kunath on behalf of all his colleagues on the Management Board and the more than 390,000 REWE Group employees for the close and good cooperation, which always focussed on the long-term success of the company and the well-being of the large REWE Group team: "Jan Kunath has rendered outstanding services to REWE Group. He has brought all of his expertise, his extensive knowledge of the company from different business segment perspectives and his decades of experience to bear for our long-term success. Together we have achieved major milestones for the company, such as the reorganisation of Penny or the time-critical market exits from Ukraine and Russia. Together, we were able to steer REWE Group safely through the stormy times for all businesses at the start of the pandemic. Thank you very much for the friendly and trusting cooperation."

His agendas will be transferred within the REWE Group Management Board and his position will not be filled. In future, the Divisional Directors Marcel Haraszti (full-range Austria), Espen B. Larsen (full-range CEE) and Michael Jäger (PENNY International) will report to REWE Group CEO Lionel Souque. The Baumarkt DIY store business segment will be assigned to Christoph Eltze's Management Board portfolio, with toom CEO René Haßfeld reporting to him. The course for increased international cooperation was already set in 2022 with the expansion of the REWE Group Management Board. Since 2022, the topics of People & Sustainability (Daniela Büchel), Logistics (Peter Maly), Merchandise International (Hans-Jürgen Moog), Digital & Technology (Christoph Eltze) and Finance (Telerik Schischmanow) have been more closely interlinked across national borders in specially created specialist structures (Boards).

Jan Kunath, Deputy CEO of the REWE Group, takes stock with satisfaction: "I have worked for the REWE Group for more than 30 years and our industry has changed and developed enormously during this time. It was an intensive time, and I found the last few years in particular, with their technological upheavals and innovations, especially fascinating. When I look back, I am very proud of what we have achieved as a company over these three decades. And grateful to have been part of this great big REWE Group team. It has been a great experience for me as a retail enthusiast and retail expert. The end of this year is the right time for me to move from operational to strategic and advisory management. And I'm already looking forward to getting to know new sectors and areas and contributing my experience."

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Dietmar Burtzlaff
2 months and 19 days ago

Dear Mr Kunath, from my personal retirement, looking back on working with you at Penny: THANK YOU for everything, especially your challenging and encouraging, your straightforwardness, your strategic and visionary foresight. All the best for your new challenges! Best wishes Dietmar Burtzlaff

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