Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has joined the supervisory board of Hyperglobus, a Russian supermarket chain formerly owned by the German retailer Globus, according to reports from Russian publication RBC, as cited by Reuters.
During his tenure as Chancellor from 1998 to 2005, Schröder formed a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and later worked for Russian state companies.
Hyperglobus separated from Globus Holding in 2025 and is led by Thomas Bruch, the former head of Globus. The supermarkets in Russia still operate under the Globus brand.
The company announced in a statement that Schröder will be responsible for “supporting strategic development.”
This news follows just four days after Moscow placed the Russian assets of another major German retailer, Metro AG, under “temporary administration.”
Globus Holding has stated that it has completely separated its hypermarkets in Russia, which are now legally and operationally independent.
Neither Hyperglobus nor Schröder immediately responded to requests for comments from Reuters.
Earlier this year, Putin indicated that Schröder would be his preferred contact for discussions on new security arrangements for Europe, a suggestion that the European Union has firmly rejected.
