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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 appointment’s terms and any response from Schröder or the German parent company were not reported.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, the company that operates Globus hypermarkets in Russia, according to a spokesperson for the chain quoted by RBC. The appointment places a high-profile German political figure on the board of a Russian business linked to a retailer that has continued operating in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The chain’s spokesperson told RBC that Schröder will help manage the business and guide its strategic development in Russia. Giperglobus owner Thomas Bruch said the company expected to draw on Schröder’s experience in Russian political and economic affairs. Bruch also described the former chancellor as a potential contributor to what he called an approach focused on dialogue and to finding constructive solutions under current conditions.
Giperglobus owns and operates 22 stores in eight Russian regions, according to the report. The company finances its operations with its own funds and shares shareholders and a brand with the German Globus chain. The report does not spell out the precise corporate relationship between Giperglobus and the German business or how the board appointment will affect day-to-day decisions.
Globus is among a small group of foreign retailers that have remained active in Russia since the invasion, RBC reported. Other named retailers still operating there include Metro Cash & Carry, Auchan and Lemana PRO, the brand formerly known as Leroy Merlin. The situation for foreign businesses has also become more complicated: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees in September placing the Russian legal entities of those three retailers under temporary management. The report does not say that Giperglobus was included in those decrees.
A Board Role at a Russia-Based Chain
The appointment brings Schröder’s Russia ties into the governance of a business operating in a politically sensitive environment. For Globus, the stated purpose is business management and strategic guidance in Russia. For observers, the role may draw scrutiny because the retailer has stayed in the country while other foreign companies have left or faced changes to control over their local entities.
The appointment also puts the question of corporate responsibility and influence into sharper focus. Schröder is a former head of government, not a serving German official, and the report provides no evidence that his board position represents the German government or changes policy. Still, his profile and his continuing contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin make the role more politically prominent than a routine corporate appointment.
For customers, workers and business partners, the immediate practical effect is not yet clear. The company says Schröder will help guide management and strategy, but has not detailed what decisions will fall within his remit. The board role may matter more if it changes the company’s approach to investment, operations or engagement with Russian authorities.
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Schröder’s Continued Russia Contacts
Schröder served as German chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and maintained a relationship with Putin after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the report, he visited Moscow in July 2022 and met Putin, saying a rift between them was impossible. That history has made his continued engagement with the Russian leader a subject of political attention.
In May 2026, Putin described Schröder as his “preferred” mediator for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. European governments did not accept Moscow choosing its representative, the report says. The Kremlin said in June 2026 that Putin and Schröder had met again, but gave no details of their conversation. Those past contacts provide context for the board appointment, but do not establish that Schröder will act as a mediator or represent Russia in any diplomatic process.
Globus’s continued presence in Russia is part of a wider business landscape in which foreign retailers have made different choices since the invasion. Giperglobus says it funds its Russian operations itself, while its shared shareholders and brand link it to the German chain. The available report does not give further details about ownership, financing arrangements or any change in the German company’s position.
“Bruch said Schröder’s appointment would allow the company to draw on his many years of experience in Russian political and economic affairs.”
— Thomas Bruch, owner of Giperglobus
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Board Duties and Company Response
The report does not specify when Schröder’s appointment took effect, whether he has already attended a board meeting, how long his term will last, or whether he will be paid. It also gives no detail on the board’s authority, the scope of his strategic role or the decisions he is expected to influence.
No response from Schröder or the German Globus parent company is included in the source report. It remains unclear whether the German company formally approved the appointment, what the shared shareholders’ role was, and whether the position changes the relationship between the German retailer and Giperglobus. The available material does not establish that Giperglobus is subject to the September temporary-management decrees affecting other retailers’ Russian entities.
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Clarification on Schröder’s Role
The next developments to watch are statements from Giperglobus, Schröder and the German Globus company clarifying the appointment’s terms, his responsibilities and the corporate relationship between the Russian operator and the German chain. Any explanation of how the board role will affect business strategy would help establish whether the appointment is primarily advisory or carries broader management responsibilities.
The company’s operations and any further Russian government measures affecting foreign-owned businesses are also relevant. The source report does not describe a new regulatory action against Giperglobus or announce a change to its stores. Until the company provides more detail, the confirmed development is limited to Schröder’s board appointment and the stated intention that he contribute to management and strategic guidance.
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Key Questions
What role has Gerhard Schröder taken?
He has joined the supervisory board of Giperglobus LLC, the Russian company operating Globus hypermarkets. A chain spokesperson told RBC that he will help manage the business and guide its strategy in Russia.
How many Globus stores does Giperglobus operate in Russia?
The report says Giperglobus owns 22 stores in eight regions. It also says the company finances its Russian operations with its own funds.
Why has the appointment drawn attention?
Globus has continued operating in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Schröder has maintained contacts with Putin. The appointment connects his high-profile political background with the governance of a business operating in Russia.
Has Schröder been appointed as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine?
No such appointment is reported. Putin called Schröder his “preferred” mediator in May 2026, but the report says Europe rejected Moscow choosing its representative.
What is still unknown about the board appointment?
The report does not give the appointment’s start date, term, compensation or detailed scope. It also does not include responses from Schröder or the German Globus parent company.
Source: rss
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