Patrick Steppe announces his departure at the end of the year and will in future be a member of the Supervisory Board of Lekkerland SE. The current Chief Operating Officer Hilmar Hübers will take over as Chairman of the Management Board of Lekkerland SE at the beginning of 2026. The top management team is also being reorganised.
After more than nine years at the helm of Lekkerland SE, Patrick Steppe (57), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has decided to leave the company at the end of the year. He will hand over the chairmanship of the Management Board to Hilmar Hübers (51), currently Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Lekkerland, on 1 January 2026.
Under Patrick Steppe's leadership, Lekkerland has developed into a convenience retail partner for its customers in recent years and continuously expanded its range of services. The focus is on providing the best possible support for their business success and working together to further develop the convenience retail business. Today more than ever, Lekkerland is committed to its vision of being "Your most convenient partner" for its customers.
Patrick Steppe's departure will not be final. As a future member of the Supervisory Board of Lekkerland SE, he will remain associated with the company beyond 2025.
"With his decades of experience, Patrick Steppe has made a significant contribution to making Lekkerland what it is today: a leading player in the convenience and on-the-go consumption sector. We are very satisfied with this development. I would like to sincerely thank him for the always trusting and good cooperation, which I greatly appreciate," says Lionel Souque, CEO of the REWE Group. "I am therefore delighted that Patrick will remain associated with us and Lekkerland in the future. We are taking the opportunity to reorganise the Management Board and to launch a powerful team that will continue to develop Lekkerland with commitment."
Hilmar Hübers, Chief Operating Officer of Lekkerland, will take over as Chairman of the Management Board at the beginning of 2026. He and Patrick Steppe have been steering the fortunes of the company as a team since 2020. Together, they will ensure a smooth transition in the coming months.
Hilmar Hübers has been working for REWE Group in various functions since 2011. "I am delighted that Hilmar Hübers will be shaping the future of Lekkerland together with the entire team as CEO. Lekkerland has developed strongly in recent years and has assumed a leading role in the convenience segment. In his previous roles - not least at Lekkerland - Hilmar has shown time and again that he can successfully master complex challenges with a clear vision, a high degree of realisation and a great will to shape the company. Together with the expertise and many years of experience of his new Management Board team of Ulf Adebar, Dirk Klein-Hietpas, Nils Klüssendorf and Philipp Pauly, these are the best prerequisites for leading the company successfully into the future. I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with Hilmar and his team," says Lionel Souque.
Management board: new constellation, new responsibilities
As part of the change at the top of the company, the top management team will also be reorganised as of 1 January 2026: 
Philipp Pauly
Philipp Pauly, Senior Vice President Energy Stations & Convenience Stores, will be responsible for Lekkerland's sales department as Chief Sales Officer on the Management Board from January 2026.
Dirk Klein-Hietpas
Dirk Klein-Hietpas, Senior Vice President Corporate Supply Chain & Logistics, will be responsible for Logistics & Supply Chain on the Management Board of Lekkerland SE as Chief Supply Chain Officer.
Nils Klüssendorf
Nils Klüssendorf, Senior Vice President Corporate Administration, Finance & Legal, has also been appointed to the Management Board. As Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for Finance and Legal.
Ulf Adebahr
Ulf Adebahr, Senior Vice President Corporate IT, will be responsible for the areas of technology and digitalisation at Management Board level as Chief Information Officer.
The team will be completed by Rikus Kolster, Senior Vice President Buying & Category Management, Marc Lanneau, Country Manager of Lekkerland Netherlands and Conway Belgium, and Pedro Giménez, Country Manager of Conway Spain. They will continue to be part of the top management team and will all report to Hilmar Hübers in future.
Jürgen Stolz, Senior Vice President National Sales, will also remain part of the top management team. He will retire in mid-2026. Philipp Pauly will take over his area of responsibility in addition to his current duties.
At Management Board level, Hilmar Hübers will be responsible for Purchasing and Category Management, Smart Stores, Human Resources, Strategy & Transformation, Communication and the management of the Lekkerland national companies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.