Supervisory Board
Members of the Supervisory Board of CECONOMY AG
09.09.2025 - 09:00
The Supervisory Board appoints, monitors, and advises the Management Board and is directly involved in decisions that are of fundamental importance to the company. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board coordinates the work of the Supervisory Board.
The Supervisory Board consists of twenty members, ten of whom are elected by the General Meeting and ten by the employees in accordance with the provisions of the Codetermination Act of May 4, 1976. Information about the members of the Supervisory Board, their biographies, and details of other mandates can be found here.
Christoph Vilanek
Chairman of the Supervisory Board, CECONOMY AG
As former long-standing CEO of freenet AG and member of supervisory boards and boards of directors of other (listed) companies, Mr Vilanek has extensive experience in retail, technology and international experience as well as digitalization and experience in management.
Jürgen Schulz
Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, CECONOMY AG
Department manager of the Service Department, Saturn Bielefeld, Chairman of the Works Council, Saturn Bielefeld
Due to his position at the Saturn store in Bielefeld, Mr Schulz has outstanding expertise in consumer electronics retailing. He is particularly knowledgeable in the field of after-sales with strong customer retention. Before the demerger of METRO GROUP, Mr Schulz was a member of the Supervisory Board of METRO AG. Thanks to his membership in the Supervisory Board of METRO AG and his role as Chairman of the Works Council, he has extensive experience in matters of co-determination at corporate and operational level.
Katrin Adt
CEO Dacia Brand and member of Renault Group’s Leadership Team, Paris
Ms Adt has been CEO of the Dacia brand and a member of the Board of Management of the Renault Group in Paris since September 2025. Previously, she was responsible for internal auditing at Mercedes-Benz Group AG, after having led the Group's own branches in Europe for Mercedes-Benz. Prior to that, she was the CEO of the smart brand. Due to her extensive experience in international sales and other positions in human resources, Ms Adt has particular expertise in marketing and human resources, as well as additional skills in corporate governance.
Daniela Eckardt
ESG REPRESENTATIVE
Customer Service Manager, Saturn Alexanderplatz Berlin, Deputy Chairwoman of the Works Council, Saturn Alexanderplatz Berlin
As a qualified retail assistant with extensive professional experience, Ms Eckardt has wide-ranging knowledge in various areas of specialist- and general retail. As deputy chairwoman of a works council, she also has a special knowledge of co-determination at operational level.
Sabine Eckhardt
ESG REPRESENTATIVE
Non-Executive Board Member, Advisor and Lecturer
Due to her professional career with previous positions at companies in the media, consumer goods and real estate sectors, Ms Eckhardt has profound knowledge in sales and marketing and in the transformation of business models as well as in the areas of corporate management, strategic planing and digitalisation.
Henrike Eickholt
Regional department head, ver.di trade department North Rhine-Westphalia
Ms Eickholt has a degree in business administration and is a qualified office administrator with extensive knowledge in the area of co-determination thanks to her many years of trade union activity. She also has extensive experience as a member of co-determined supervisory boards.
Dr Stephan Fanderl
Ludwig Glosser
Lead Problem Manager and Sourcing Manager, IT Service Management, MMS Technology GmbH, and Chairman of the Works Council of MMS Technology GmbH
As a trained business computing expert who has already held various IT positions during his career at Media-Saturn, Mr Glosser is highly experienced in questions relating to the digitization in retail. As a member and chairman of a works council, he also has hands-on experience of co-determination at operational level.
Corinna Groß
Federal Retail Trade Group Leader, ver.di Bundesverwaltung, Berlin
Ms Groß has many years of experience in trade union work and has worked successfully in various leadership positions at ver.di. In addition, she brings valuable industry knowledge in the retail sector.
Doreen Huber
Independent entrepreneur, investor and partner, EQT Ventures
Due to her many years of professional experience as an independent entrepreneur and investor, as well as her stations in companies with digitalised business models, Ms Huber has expertise above all in the areas of commerce, digitalisation / technology, corporate management, marketing and mergers and acquisitions.
Jürgen Kellerhals
Independent entrepreneur
With his many years of professional experience as an independent entrepreneur in the field of real estate development and commercial real estate leasing, Mr Kellerhals' competencies lie primarily in the areas of trade and business management.
Peter Kimpel
Independent entrepreneur and Senior Advisor
Thanks to his many years of experience in management positions at various large international banks and as CFO of a company with a focus on internet-based business models, Mr. Kimpel's strengths lie particularly in the areas of finance and corporate management.
Birgit Kretschmer
Chief Financial Officer, C&A Mode GmbH & Co. KG
Mrs Birgit Kretschmer serves currently as Chief Financial Officer of C&A Mode GmbH & Co. KG. Previously, the business administration graduate held various management positions at adidas. She therefore not only has expertise in the areas of retail and corporate governance, but also in the areas of accounting and auditing as well as international experience.
Paul Lehmann
Trade Union Secretary, ver.di Oberfranken
As Trade Union Secretary at ver.di, Mr Lehmann brings with him extensive knowledge in the field of employee participation and, as a trained retail salesman, he has practical experience in the retail sector.
Sabine Nitzsche
Member of Management Board, TüV Süd AG
Ms Nitzsche is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and a member of the Board of Management of TÜV Süd AG, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of LBBW/BW-Bank since 2024. She has many years of international leadership experience in the finance sector, including serving as CFO at Vitesco Technologies and Infineon.
Julian Norberg
Division Manager and Authorised Signatory Operational Excellence, Media-Saturn Deutschland GmbH
Mr Norberg brings with him a broad and long-standing experience from various management positions at MediaMarktSaturn. This, together with his training as a retail salesman and retail specialist, as well as his studies in international retail management, make him an expert in the retail sector.
Erich Schuhmacher
Head of Finance/Investment Controlling/Balances/Taxes, Convergenta Invest und Beteiligungs GmbH, Salzburg, Austria and Managing Director of several shopping centers and trading companies in Germany and Austria
Due to his long professional career in leading positions in various companies, Mr Schuhmacher has excellent knowledge in the areas of finance and controlling.
Through his work as managing director of various trading companies, he also brings experience in the areas of retail and corporate management.
Jascha Sperl
Chairman of the General Works Council, MediaMarkt Heilbronn, Schwäbisch Hall and Crailsheim, Retail Salesman, Computer Department, MediaMarkt Heilbronn
Mr Sperl is a trained retail saleman. Due to his many years of professional experience, Mr Sperl has a wide range of knowledge in various areas of specialist and retail trade. The Chairman of the General Works Council, MediaMarkt Heilbronn, Schwäbisch Hall and Crailsheim also has special knowledge in matters of company co-determination
Jürgen Trinkaus
Expert Advisor, Department Global System for Mobile Communications, Saturn, Chairman of the Works Council of Saturn, Düsseldorf
Mr Trinkaus has worked for Saturn Düsseldorf for many years and has extensive experience in the consumer electronics retail sector. As Chairman of the Works Council since 2014 and a long-standing member of the Works Council, he has in-depth knowledge of co-determination.
Sylvia Woelke
Manager Corporate Risk Management & Internal Controls, MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group GmbH, Chairwoman of the Works Council of the Joint Operation MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group GmbH, Media-Saturn Deutschland GmbH & MediaMarktSaturn Beschaffung und Logistik GmbH
Ms Woelke is an economist with a strong background in retail, having specialised in this field during her studies and gathered ongoing professional experience. Furthermore, Ms Woelke has a special knowledge of audit and control systems and risk management.
Committees of the Supervisory Board of CECONOMY AG
The Supervisory Board may form one or more committees from among its members to carry out its duties. The Supervisory Board currently has four committees: the Chairmanship of the Supervisory Board, the Audit Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the Mediation Committee pursuant to Section 27 (3) of the Co-Determination Act (MitbestG).
In general, the committees prepare the deliberations and resolutions of the Supervisory Board plenary in the areas assigned to them either by the Rules of Procedure or by law. Within the legally defined framework, the Supervisory Board has also delegated decision-making powers to the committees. Within these powers, the committees act directly on behalf of the Supervisory Board.
The following responsibilities are assigned to the committees of the Supervisory Board of CECONOMY AG:
Supervisory Board Presidium
The Presidium of the Supervisory Board is authorized, in place of the Supervisory Board and in accordance with Section 107 Paragraph 3 Sentence 4 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG), to decide on the following matters:
- Non-remuneration-related components of the employment contracts of the Management Board members;
- Consent to other activities of a Management Board member pursuant to Section 88 AktG, as well as the approval of the assumption of secondary employment, in particular supervisory board mandates at companies outside the group;
- Succession planning for the Management Board;
- Legal transactions with Management Board members pursuant to Section 112 AktG;
- Granting of loans to the persons specified in Sections 89 and 115 AktG (in particular Management Board and Supervisory Board members). However, if the granting of a loan to a member of the Management Board is to be considered a component of remuneration, the Presidium of the Supervisory Board acts only in a preparatory capacity for the full Supervisory Board;
- Approval of contracts with Supervisory Board members pursuant to Section 114 AktG;
- Legal transactions that, according to the Management Board's rules of procedure, require the approval of the Supervisory Board.
- Decision-making in cases where, to avert significant disadvantages for the company, a postponement until the next Supervisory Board meeting is not justifiable and a vote by the Supervisory Board outside of a meeting cannot be obtained within the necessary timeframe;
- All other matters delegated to it by resolution of the Supervisory Board.
With regard to the following topics, the Presidium of the Supervisory Board prepares matters for the Supervisory Board and, where appropriate, issues a recommendation for a resolution:
- Appointment and dismissal of Management Board members; in its deliberations, the Committee takes into account that the term of office of a Management Board member should generally not extend beyond the age of 65;
- Determination of the remuneration system for the Management Board members, as well as the individual setting and, where applicable, reduction of the remuneration of Management Board members pursuant to Section 87, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG);
- Monitoring the application of the German Corporate Governance Code and the preparation of the annual declaration of conformity.
Members
Christoph Vilanek (Chairman)
Jürgen Schulz
Katrin Adt
Sylvia Woelke
Examination Committee
Instead of the full Supervisory Board, the Audit Committee performs the following tasks in particular:
- Approval of the launch of capital market programs, the issuance of bonds, and the agreement of credit lines and other loans with amounts ranging from €50 million to €200 million in individual cases.
- Addressing accounting issues and monitoring the accounting process; the Committee receives regular reports from the Management Board on the impact of changes in accounting and reporting standards, particularly IFRS, that are relevant to the Group or the company; it may submit recommendations or proposals to ensure the integrity of the accounting process;
- Reviewing the quarterly and semi-annual financial reports and discussing partial audit findings;
- Monitoring the statutory audit and determining audit priorities;
- Monitoring and ensuring the independence of the statutory auditor during the audit process and reviewing any additional services provided by the statutory auditor. The provision of non-audit services by the statutory auditor and its network to the company or a group company that are not prohibited requires the prior approval of the Audit Committee; the Audit Committee may issue guidelines for the provision of such services;
- Conducting tender and selection procedures for statutory audit engagements in accordance with the legal provisions for external rotation of the statutory auditor, in particular Articles 16 et seq. of the EU Statutory Audit Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 537/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on specific statutory audit requirements for public-interest entities and repealing Commission Decision 2005/909/EC);
- Awarding the engagement for external support of the Supervisory Board in the substantive review of non-financial reporting and conducting the tender and selection procedures for such engagements;
- Addressing issues of group tax planning;
- Reviewing the Management Board's report on donations.
In addition, the Audit Committee prepares reports for the Supervisory Board and issues recommendations for resolutions. In this preparatory capacity, the Audit Committee addresses the following tasks:
- Risk management issues and monitoring the effectiveness of the risk management system;
- Monitoring the effectiveness of the internal audit system, internal control systems, and anti-fraud measures;
- Compliance issues and monitoring the Group's compliance management system;
- Examination of the annual and consolidated financial statements, including the respective management reports, based on the results of the statutory audit and the auditor's supplementary statements, the evaluation of the audit reports, and the review of the Management Board's proposal for the appropriation of retained earnings; and
- if applicable, the review of the report on dependents;
- Proposal from the Supervisory Board to the Annual General Meeting for the election of the statutory auditor, as well as the awarding of the audit contract to the statutory auditor and the conclusion of the fee agreement; when recommending the statutory auditor, the Audit Committee must comply with the requirements of Article 16(2) of the EU Audit Regulation.
- Review of the non-financial statement or separate non-financial report and the consolidated non-financial statement or separate consolidated non-financial report, if prepared;
- Annual budget, medium-term plan, and financing plan for the group.
Members
Birgit Kretschmer (Chair)
Sylvia Woelke (Deputy Chair)
Ludwig Glosser
Corinna Groß
Peter Kimpel
Sabine Nitzsche
Nominating Committee
The Nomination Committee's task is to propose suitable candidates to the Supervisory Board for its proposal to the Annual General Meeting regarding the election of Supervisory Board members as shareholder representatives.
Members
Sabine Eckhardt (Chair)
Doreen Huber
Christoph Vilanek
Strategy Committee
The Strategy Committee's tasks include advising the Executive Board on fundamental questions regarding transactions arising from the strategy, as well as exploring the market for potential strategic partnerships, investments, and investors.
Members
Christoph Vilanek (Chairman)
Jürgen Schulz (Deputy Chairman)
Doreen Huber
Sylvia Woelke
Mediation committee pursuant to Section 27 Paragraph 3 of the Co-Determination Act
The Mediation Committee has the statutory task of developing proposals for the appointment or revocation of the appointment of members of the Executive Board in the cases specified in Section 31 Paragraph 3 Sentence 1 of the Co-Determination Act (MitbestG) or in Section 31 Paragraph 5 of the Co-Determination Act in conjunction with Section 31 Paragraph 3 Sentence 1 of the Co-Determination Act.
Members
Christoph Vilanek (Chair)
Jürgen Schulz
Corinna Groß
Birgit Kretschmer
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues have gained increasing importance in recent years and are an essential component of the CECONOMY Group's (CECONOMY) corporate strategy.
To enhance the focus on ESG within the Supervisory Board, the Supervisory Board of CECONOMY AG has appointed Sabine Eckhardt and Daniela Eckardt as ESG Officers. In this role, Sabine Eckhardt and Daniela Eckardt will provide support and guidance. Their primary focus will therefore be on strategically addressing ESG issues beyond reporting and incentive mechanisms.
Sabine Eckhardt possesses particular expertise in this area, having previously served as CEO Central Europe of Jones Lang LaSalle SE, where she was responsible for ESG matters. Daniela Eckardt, a trained retail saleswoman with many years of professional experience, is intimately familiar with practical business processes and is particularly adept at identifying areas for improvement regarding ESG. Her customer-centric approach also enables her to develop sustainable and customer-centric initiatives.
The rules of procedure of the Supervisory Board can be found here:
Lara Bühler
Pressesprecherin HR & Brand
presse@mediamarktsaturn.com
