GERMANY - An abrupt executive transition has taken place at Lidl, as CEO Klaus Gehrig recently announced his unprecedented departure from the company. Following his resignation, Dieter Schwarz, the Owner of the parent business Schwarz Group who took control of the then-Lidl & Schwarz KG business in 1977, has stepped in to take over the role.

Schwarz will act as general partner until Gerd Chrzanowski, the designated successor and current CEO of Schwarz Group, can take over the mandate, according to Forbes.

Gehrig was allegedly known internally as the “Killer Whale” and was the top executive at Schwarz Group, which operates both the Lidl and Kaufland retail businesses. Following years of dedicated service with the retailer, he has been lauded as the driving force and architect behind the company’s impressive global growth.

According to the news source, Gehrig has decided to step down from his role following a disagreement over a “very important matter” that could not be resolved, and that Schwarz thanked the outgoing Gehrig for his “great development work” over recent years.

Cited by many as the architect of the Lidl and Kaufland empires that exist today, Gehrig has spearheaded much of the companies’ path to success, with Schwarz Group now having a retail presence in 33 countries around the world, with turnover of $148 billion.

Will we see more pivotal changes to come amongst the retailer’s leadership ring? AndNowUKnow will keep our eyes on the newswire for the latest.

Lidl