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Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, the Russian operator of the Globus hypermarket chain. The company says he will advise on management and strategy; Globus has continued operating in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The scope of Schröder’s role and the terms of his appointment have not been disclosed in the available reporting.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, the Russian operator of the Globus hypermarket chain, the company’s spokesperson told RBC. The appointment puts Schröder in a formal advisory role at a business linked by ownership and brand to German retailer Globus, which has continued operating in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Giperglobus said Schröder will help manage the business and guide its strategic development in Russia. Owner Thomas Bruch said the company expects to draw on Schröder’s experience in Russian political and economic affairs. Bruch also said the former chancellor could help maintain what he called an “approach focused on dialogue” and find constructive solutions under current conditions.
RBC reported that Giperglobus finances its operations with its own funds and shares shareholders and a brand with the German chain. The Russian company operates 22 stores across eight regions. The available report does not specify how Schröder’s board duties will work in practice or whether he will have an executive role.
Globus is among the foreign retailers that have remained active in Russia since the invasion began, according to RBC. Other international chains named in the report include Metro Cash & Carry, Auchan and Lemana PRO, formerly Leroy Merlin. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees placing the Russian legal entities of those retailers under temporary management, according to the source report.
A Board Role at a Russia-Based Retailer
The appointment brings together two developments that have drawn scrutiny: Globus’s decision to maintain its Russian business and Schröder’s continued ties to Russia after leaving office. His formal position at the Russian operator gives him a role inside a company with a sizable retail footprint, although the available reporting does not establish how much influence he will exercise over its decisions.
For Globus, the appointment is presented by its owner as a way to use Schröder’s experience and support dialogue in what Bruch described as current conditions. The move may also attract attention because the Russian retail market is subject to state intervention: the report says other foreign chains’ local legal entities were placed under temporary management in September. It does not say that Giperglobus is covered by those decrees.
The development is relevant to customers, employees and business partners because it concerns the governance of a company operating stores in Russia while its German-linked parent relationship remains in place. It also adds a new formal business role to Schröder’s public association with Russian political affairs. The reporting does not provide details of any potential effects on store operations, ownership or the company’s relations with its German counterpart.
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Schröder’s Ongoing Russia Connections
Schröder served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and has maintained contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office. Meduza’s report says Schröder met Putin in Moscow in July 2022 and said a break between them was impossible. Those past contacts provide context for his new board appointment but do not, on their own, establish what advice he will give Giperglobus.
In May 2026, Putin described Schröder as his “preferred” mediator for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, according to the report. Europe refused to let Moscow choose its representative. In June, the Kremlin said the two men had met again but offered no details about their conversation.
Globus continued operating in Russia after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The chain’s Russian business is run by Giperglobus LLC. The source report describes shared shareholders and a shared brand between the Russian operator and the German chain, while saying Giperglobus now funds its operations with its own money.
““approach focused on dialogue””
— Giperglobus owner Thomas Bruch, as quoted by the company spokesperson to RBC
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Details of Schröder’s Duties Remain Unreported
The report does not disclose the terms, compensation or duration of Schröder’s appointment, nor does it explain what authority the supervisory board has over Giperglobus’s daily management. The company’s spokesperson said he would help manage the business and guide strategy, but the practical division of responsibilities is not specified.
It is also unclear whether the appointment changes the relationship between Giperglobus and the German Globus business, or affects how the Russian operator is financed. The source says they share shareholders and a brand and that Giperglobus uses its own funds, but it provides no further detail on ownership arrangements or financial flows. The September temporary-management decrees cited in the report concern other named retailers; the available material does not say they apply to Giperglobus.
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Company Details Could Clarify the Role
The next useful details would be a fuller statement from Giperglobus or Globus explaining Schröder’s responsibilities, the board’s remit and the appointment’s terms. The available report does not identify a scheduled board meeting or other immediate milestone, so no specific next step has been announced.
Further reporting may also clarify whether the appointment changes the Russian operator’s strategy or its relationship with the German chain. For now, the confirmed development is Schröder’s appointment and the company’s stated expectation that he will contribute experience and advice; the extent of any resulting influence remains unknown.
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Key Questions
What position has Gerhard Schröder taken?
He has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, which operates Globus hypermarkets in Russia. The company says he will help manage the business and guide its strategy in the country.
How many Globus stores does Giperglobus operate in Russia?
The source report says Giperglobus operates 22 stores in eight regions.
Has Globus left the Russian market?
No. RBC reported that Globus remains among the foreign retailers continuing to operate in Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Its Russian business is operated by Giperglobus LLC.
What did the company say Schröder will do?
A Giperglobus spokesperson told RBC that Schröder will help manage the business and guide its strategic development in Russia. Owner Thomas Bruch cited his experience in Russian political and economic affairs.
Are the terms and powers of Schröder’s appointment known?
Not from the available report. It does not state his compensation, term, detailed duties or the supervisory board’s authority over day-to-day decisions.
Source: rss
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