Continuity in changing times - that was the message that the retailers and top management of REWE Group sent from Kitzbühel. It was also time to say goodbye to many long-standing office holders.
The employee representatives on the Supervisory Board Michael Adlhoch, Toni Kiel, Jutta Mirtezani and Lutz Staude left the board upon reaching the age limit, and Fritz Aupperle, a businessman who has helped shape REWE Group since 2007 and is considered one of the fathers of REWEformer , left the stage. Thomas Kunkel (REWE Süd) and Lutz Richrath (REWE West) replaced him and Robert Schäfer, who also left the board.
Management Board members Sören Hartmann and Dr Christian Mielsch as well as Divisional Director Stefan Magel also left their mark on the company. They also retired at the end of the year, in July and October. This was not without melancholy - impressive proof of the deep connection to REWE Group and its people.

Christian Mielsch was once again able to comment on the top revenue and earnings figures for 2021. It was his last Annual General Meeting in his role as Chief Financial Officer. The outgoing top manager took the opportunity to take stock of his personal achievements: during his ten-year tenure, annual profit has increased eightfold and the equity ratio has risen by 80 per cent.
Have left their mark on REWE: Erich Stockhausen, Robert Schäfer and Fritz Aupperle
Since 1 July, Telerik Shishmanov (Finance) - previously Divisional Director Retail Germany - has been responsible for his duties as CFO. At the same time, Management Board member Jan Kunath took over the DIY stores division from Mielsch. The new Management Board member Christoph Eltze will take over the Digital and Technology division in July.

No one can reliably predict whether the positive development will continue in the next decade in view of the enormous geopolitical challenges currently facing the company. However, CEO of the REWE Group Lionel Souque believes that the company is strategically well positioned, which is also the result of good, constructive cooperation between the Supervisory Board, management and the regions.
For guest speaker Fritz Strobl, appreciation and mutual respect within the team were the guarantors of his outstanding success as a ski racer.
Guest and keynote speaker Fritz Strobl set the course record at the Hahnenkamm Race on the Streif in 1997, which is still valid today
"Consistency in a fast-paced world" was the current topic of his lecture. In 1997, the Austrian set the course record for the "Streif", the legendary downhill run in Kitzbühel, which still stands today. His advice to the audience: "Never give up, set yourself new, smaller goals after setbacks, but don't lose sight of the big one!"
Lutz Richrath, 54
Through unusual marketing campaigns and a clear focus on regionality, Lutz Richrath and his brother Peter have made a name for themselves far beyond the borders of the Erft district. Their own brand "Wir aus der Region" (We from the region) is particularly successful. Having joined their parents' business in the mid-1980s, the Sugarloaf Prize winners (2013) currently operate 16 REWE stores in the Rhineland. Lutz Richrath is the management of retailers (GLK) in the West region and is involved in numerous other committees on behalf of the cooperative.
Thomas Kunkel, 42
Thomas Kunkel runs three REWE stores in the Allgäu region. Until his election to the Supervisory Board of REWE-ZENTRALFINANZ eG, the 42-year-old spent six years as a retail manager in the southern region. During this time, the promotion of young retailers was particularly close to his heart. He also contributes his expertise to the regional SAS circle and TEK-Logistik.