Ronny Gottschlich has left Lidl Great Britain to be replaced as chief executive by 34-year-old Christian Hartnagel, the BBC reported.
Gottschlich, who oversaw the supermarket chain’s rapid expansion to more than 630 UK stores in his six years at the helm, helped change the landscape of the UK grocery sector. Along with Aldi, Lidl has eaten into the Big Four’s market share, unleashing fierce price competition between Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
The German company has not given any clues as to the reason for Gottschlich’s sudden departure. In a statement, Lidl said: 'The business is extremely grateful for Ronny's contribution throughout his six years as Lidl GB CEO, during which time he steered the business forward through a transformative period.'
Hartnagel, his replacement, was previously a board director for Lidl Austria, with responsibility for sales and operations.
