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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; the appointment comes as the German retailer continues operating in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, the company that operates Globus hypermarkets in Russia, according to the Russian outlet RBC. A company spokesperson said Schröder would help manage the business and guide its strategic development, drawing renewed attention to the German retailer’s decision to keep operating in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Giperglobus owner Thomas Bruch said Schröder’s appointment would let the company use his experience in Russian political and economic affairs. Bruch said the former chancellor would help maintain what he called an “approach focused on dialogue” and seek constructive solutions under current conditions. Those descriptions are Bruch’s explanation of the appointment; the available report does not detail specific duties, decisions, or projects assigned to Schröder.
Giperglobus operates 22 stores in eight Russian regions. The company now finances its operations with its own funds and shares shareholders and a brand with German retailer Globus, according to the report. Globus is among the foreign retailers that have remained active in Russia since the invasion began, a choice that has made the company’s Russian business a subject of continuing scrutiny.
The board appointment is separate from the Russian state’s recent actions affecting other foreign retailers. RBC reported that Metro Cash & Carry, Auchan and Lemana PRO, formerly Leroy Merlin, also continue operating in Russia. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees placing those retailers’ Russian legal entities under temporary management. The report does not say that Giperglobus was included in those measures.
A Board Role With Political Resonance
Schröder’s appointment carries significance beyond a corporate governance change because of his longstanding ties to Russian political and business circles. As a former German leader who has maintained contact with Putin after the invasion, his position on the board may draw attention to how a major foreign-owned retail operation manages its presence in Russia. The company frames his role as a source of experience and dialogue, while the reported details do not establish what influence he will have over specific business decisions.
The development also puts a spotlight on the distinction between Globus’s German identity and the operating arrangements of its Russian arm. Giperglobus is described as sharing shareholders and a brand with the German chain, while financing its Russian operations itself. The report does not give further detail on the relationship’s governance or financial structure. For customers, employees and observers of foreign companies in Russia, the appointment is relevant as a change in the leadership of a business that has continued to trade there during the war.
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Schröder’s Continuing Russia Ties
Schröder, who served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, remained in contact with Putin after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In July 2022, he met Putin in Moscow and said a rift between them was impossible, according to the source report. His continued relationship with the Russian president has repeatedly drawn public attention.
In May 2026, Putin described Schröder as his “preferred” mediator for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Europe rejected Moscow’s choice of representative, the report said. The Kremlin later said in June that Putin and Schröder had met again, but did not provide details about their conversation. These contacts form the immediate political background to Schröder’s new corporate role, but the report does not say that he was appointed to conduct mediation or represent the Russian government.
“Schröder’s appointment would allow the company to draw on his many years of experience in Russian political and economic affairs.”
— Giperglobus owner Thomas Bruch, as quoted by RBC
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The Scope of Schröder’s Role
The announcement, as reported, does not specify Schröder’s responsibilities, how often the supervisory board will meet, or whether he will take part in particular strategic or operational decisions. It also does not explain whether his appointment changes Giperglobus’s ownership, financing, or relationship with the German Globus chain. No comment from Schröder is included in the source material.
It remains unclear whether the appointment has any connection to Schröder’s past contacts with Putin or to the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations. The company’s stated purpose is to draw on his political and economic experience for the business. The report does not identify a mediation role, and Putin’s earlier preference for Schröder as a mediator does not establish that he has been chosen or authorized to act in that capacity.
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How the Board Role Takes Shape
The next developments to watch are any further statements from Giperglobus, Globus or Schröder clarifying the board member’s remit and the practical work he will undertake. The available report gives no timetable for new board decisions or specific strategic initiatives tied to his appointment.
Giperglobus’s Russian operations and the status of foreign retailers in the country are also likely to remain relevant points of attention. The reported September decrees affected the Russian entities of other retailers; no equivalent action against Giperglobus is identified in the source. Any changes to its operating or ownership arrangements would need to be confirmed separately.
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Key Questions
What position has Gerhard Schröder taken?
He has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, the Russian operator of Globus hypermarkets, according to RBC.
What did the company say Schröder will do?
Giperglobus said he 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.
How many Globus stores does Giperglobus operate in Russia?
The report says Giperglobus operates 22 stores across eight regions.
Has Giperglobus been placed under temporary state management?
The report says September decrees placed the Russian legal entities of Metro Cash & Carry, Auchan and Lemana PRO under temporary management. It does not say that Giperglobus was included.
Is Schröder being appointed as a Russia-Ukraine mediator?
The reported appointment is to a corporate supervisory board. Although Putin called Schröder his preferred mediator in May 2026, the source does not say that Schröder has been authorized or appointed to mediate negotiations.
Source: rss
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