The American Internet company Amazon is getting a new head of Germany: at the turn of the year, Rocco Bräuniger will be the online retailer's “Country Manager” responsible for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
He succeeds Ralf Kleber, who has been running the company's business in this country for 20 years.
"I am proud and happy when I look back on my years at Amazon: It was hard work, was always fun - and we have certainly made history," wrote Kleber in a message to the Amazon employees: "Even after more For more than 20 years, it still impresses me to see how the company picks up speed, scales, learns and grows. And I still think it's exciting to build the plane while it's in the air. "
Kleber switched from the fashion company Escada to Amazon at the end of the nineties. At that time, the online bookseller founded by Jeff Bezos had just expanded to Germany and was still far from the importance it has today in many product categories. After a short time, Kleber took over the German business, during his time the company expanded in this country - and, for example, the construction of the logistics centers.
His successor, 47-year-old Rocco Bräuniger, has been with the company since 2006.
The former management consultant started for Amazon at the Munich headquarters and has built up the Amazon business in Australia over the past few years.
According to its own information, Amazon now employs around 28,000 people in German-speaking countries and generates annual sales of 30 billion euros.