CROATIA: Billa names new COO for Croatian business | Progresiv

German retailer Billa has appointed Davor Katalinić as Chief Operating Officer for its Croatian subsidiary, Billa Hrvatska. He will become the third member of the Board of Directors, which already includes Martin Missbrandt as Chairman of the Board, and Nenad Budimir as Chief Financial Officer.

Before joining Billa's parent company this year, Rewe International, Katalinić worked at Metro Group as head of purchasing and sales for non-food products for Metro South East Europe. He was also a partner in JosDeVries in The Netherlands.

Billa Hrvatska was one of the first foreign retailers to arrive in Croatia back in 1999 and currently has a total of 63 stores across the country. However, it has since been surpassed not only by Spar, Lidl and Kaufland, but also by local players such as Plodine and Tommy.

Although Billa has said it will continue its investments in Croatia with plans to open new stores, according to some local media reports, the German retailer is allegedly planning an exit strategy for Croatia.

Local newspaper Lider has speculated that the arrival of Katalinić could signal the implementation of an exit strategy, or perhaps a radical shift in Billa's current business strategy in Croatia. (www.esmmagazine.com)