Paul Gauselmann steps down as the CEO of the group. At the same time, Michael Gauselmann takes over as the chairman of the supervisory board and the board of directors of the Gauselmann Family Foundation. Lars Felderhoff has been appointed the new chairman of the board of directors.
Press release.- A new chapter is beginning for Merkur Group, as the company's founder, Paul Gauselmann, will retire as chairman of the board of directors on October 1, stepping away from the company's executive leadership. For 67 years, he has shaped the destiny of the group, transforming a part-time sole proprietorship into an internationally renowned group of companies with total sales revenue of around EUR 4,000m and external sales revenue of more than EUR 2,700m.
“I have consistently dedicated my energy to the well-being of the company and, at the same time, to the benefit of our approximately 15,000 employees,” he stated. “The time has come to entrust the work of my life to the younger generations,” explained Paul Gauselmann.
Lars Felderhoff, 48, CFO of the Merkur group, will assume the role of chairman. He will be supported as vice chairmen by Jürgen Stühmeyer (64), board member responsible for sales, and Manfred Stoffers (70), board member responsible for marketing, communication, and political affairs. “I am delighted that this trio will take the helm. They are outstanding leaders with a deep understanding of the company,” explained Paul Gauselmann, who will continue his association with the company as a member of the Gauselmann Family Foundation.
A generational change is also occurring at another level: Michael Gauselmann (68) will take over on October 1 as chairman of the supervisory board, replacing Manfred Grünewald (89). He will also succeed Paul Gauselmann as chairman of the board of directors of the Gauselmann Family Foundation.
As the sole shareholder of the group, the Foundation is the center of all fundamental strategic decisions. “I am thrilled that my son Michael is taking on this important responsibility and bringing his international experience to our company,” states Paul Gauselmann.
Michael Gauselmann, a graduate in business administration, joined the group in 1982 and worked in all business sectors. He drove internationalization by establishing the subsidiary Atronic in 1993, overseeing all overseas operations. For a decade, he was vice chairman of the board of directors before becoming co-chairman of the board of directors of the group, sharing responsibilities with Paul Gauselmann from 2004 to 2012. Since 2013, he participated in the then Gauselmann Family Council and, since 2016, in the Gauselmann Family Foundation.
Lars Felderhoff will take over the executive leadership as the new chairman of the group. Since 2018 he oversees the finances and organization of the Merkur Group. He began his career in 2000 at the subsidiary Atronic. From 2007 to 2011, he expanded his experience at the gaming group GTech (now IGT) and at Metro Cash & Carry International, a wholesale group. Felderhoff rejoined Merkur in 2011 as commercial director of the adp Merkur subsidiary. In that capacity, he was in charge of commercial operations for the commercial segment of Merkur, which encompasses more than 40 companies both in Germany and internationally.
As a native of Rahden, he has close ties to the region and understands the roots of the business group. “The challenge is immense and, naturally, we will not be able to replace an entrepreneur like Paul Gauselmann one-to-one. However, the company is strong and agile enough to continue setting new benchmarks in the future”.
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He is assisted by the vice chairmen of the board of directors, Jürgen Stühmeyer and Manfred Stoffers. Stühmeyer, a native of Minden, has been working at this East Westphalia company for 37 years. He started as an apprentice in 1987 and progressively climbed up. As a board member responsible for sales, he has been directing the strategic orientation and commercial success of the entire Merkur pillar since 2007. Manfred Stoffers joined the company in 2011 as a consultant to the chairman of Gauselmann AG and was appointed director responsible for Marketing, Communications, and Political Affairs in 2015.
