NECKARSULM, GERMANY - Just two years and two months after assuming the top position at German discount grocer Lidl, CEO Jesper Højer has resigned from the company, according to reports in the German media.

"I am proud to have worked for many years, in various international positions, for as dynamic a company as Lidl and to have contributed to the success of the past few years,” Højer said in a statement issued by the retailer’s parent Schwartz Group. “The decision to make my position available was not easy for me, but for me, it's time to realign my family and professional future.”

Schwartz Group’s Deputy Purchasing Director Ignazio Paternò will assume the role of interim CEO while they search for a full-time replacement.

News of Højer’s resignation follows less than a month after Schwartz Group-owned sister company Kaufland lost its CEO Patrick Kaudewitz. Kaudewitz likewise left the company he headed abruptly, citing personal reasons.

How will the CEO’s departure shape Lidl US’s operations? Just this February, the company’s U.S. arm appointed a new Chairman, and the company has continued to grow vigorously into new markets stateside in 2019.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report with updates on this story and other important retail news.

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