Michal Lagunionek succeeds Johannes Fieber in role

ARLINGTON, Va. — Lidl veteran and board member Michal Lagunionek has been named president and chief executive officer of the company’s Lidl U.S. division, which operates about 140 stores. He succeeds Johannes Fieber, who is resigning after three years in the post.

Lagunionek brings 20 years of Lidl experience to the position, including more than a decade as CEO of the company’s business in Poland. He has served on Lidl International’s board of directors for the past six years, and since last summer he has been the director responsible for overseeing the company’s business in the United States.

Fieber announced his planned departure in a memo sent to employees on April 20. In it he said he was leaving to spend more time with his family, and stated that the Lidl U.S. business has “stabilized and brightened” after its rocky start in 2017.

“On a personal level, I am tremendously proud of all that we have accomplished together, supporting Lidl’s path to growth,” Fieber wrote to the company’s associates. “Through my many visits to our stores, warehouses, property offices, and headquarters, I have seen firsthand your countless contributions to our business. Together, we have successfully completed the Best Market brand acquisition and transformation on Long Island; we have introduced exciting new store concepts to better serve our customers, including our newest, which will open this week in Manassas, Virginia; and we have been recognized as the fastest-growing retailer in the United States for two consecutive years.”

Fieber took the reins as president and CEO of Lidl U.S. in May 2018, succeeding Brendan Proctor, who led the U.S. expansion from June 2015. Lidl opened its first U.S. stores in June 2017.  Fieber came to the United States with extensive retail industry experience, including about 10 years with Lidl. He had worked for the discount supermarket company, part of Germany’s Schwarz Group, in multiple countries, and spent more than two years as CEO of Lidl Sweden. He will work with Lagunionek to help with the leadership transition, he said.