After Josef Sanktjohanser, president of the German Retail Association (HDE), announced that he would not be available for re-election after 16 years, the executive board of the federation has unanimously recommended Dr. Alexander von Preen, CEO of Intersport Germany eG, to the executive committee and the assembly of delegates for the presidential election in November of this year. As the supreme sovereign of the association, the HDE delegates’ meeting will decide on the presidency by-election on Nov. 16, 2022. Von Preen has been head of the Intersport Germany buying group since 2018. Before that, he worked as managing director and equity partner for the international management consultancy Kienbaum for over 20 years. Von Preen is also part of the Intersport International Corporation’s (IIC) management board.
Last year, the HDE executive board mandated a search committee to find a successor to HDE president Sanktjohanser. A strong leader and cooperative personality from the retail sector was sought to further develop the technical and strategic focal points for the sector and the internal structures and ensure cohesion between all members of all company sizes and sectors in the HDE and with its regional and trade associations. In particular, the candidate should facilitate conducive, long-term networking in politics, neighboring and affiliated trade associations, trade unions, NGOs, media and the economy. According to HDE, Von Preen stands for three topics: Sustainability, attractive city centers and strengthening of entrepreneurship in digital and stationary retail.
