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Executive Partners
Drs. Marc Houppermans (Germany / Thailand)
..... is co-founder and a Managing Partner at DRC Discount Retail Consulting GmbH since 2019. For 13 years, until 2019, Marc worked at Aldi, a privately held, German-headquartered global discount chain retailer with operations in 18 countries covering Europe, USA and Asia.
Before Marc became Managing Director and member of the Aldi Board of Directors in the Netherlands, he occupied various leading positions throughout the German Aldi organisation. In the role of Managing Director, which he held for 10 years, Marc was fully responsible for the company’s P&L, implementing tactical and strategic decisions, expanding and refurbishing the Aldi network, increasing the market share, and strengthening the competitive position of the company. In this role he led a team of professionals responsible for Buying and Private Label development, Sales & Operations, Finance & Accounting (including HR and IT), Supply chain, Real Estate & Business Development.
In the role of Dutch Board Director, Marc was responsible for the development and decision-making of tactical and strategic policies. Some of his main projects at Aldi were developing and implementing the new international Aldi Instore discount concept, including the technical equipment and the merchandise processes.
Marc started his career, in 1999, as Business Manager at Philips Medical in Tokyo after his MBA study in the Netherlands and Japan. Thereafter, in 2001, he became consultant at KPMG for Sustainability Reporting in the Netherlands, after which he made a switch to Philips Automotive N.V. in Germany. As a certified lean black belt manager for global OEM & Aftermarket, Marc led various complex business development projects in Europe and the USA.
Marc has developed 25 years of broad interdisciplinary and international leadership experience, and he is seasoned in leading tactical, strategical and operational business develop-ment projects to a success.
Marc is fluent in Dutch, English, and German. He also speaks basic French and Japanese.
William Snollaerts (Nigeria / Thailand)
..... is co-founder and a Managing Partner at DRC Retail Consulting. William has more than 25 years experience in the Dutch, Russian and African food and non-food retail industry and he is currently developing a new discount food store chain in West Africa while applying his discount expertise specifically in Nigeria. This emerging African country has the largest and fastest growing market in Africa, accommodating over 200 million people.
William’s professional career commenced at Hero Benelux, a Dutch-Swiss food manufacturer as HR Development Manager. After a 5-year career foundation at Hero, William made a move in 1995 to one of the largest discount chains in Europe. Before William became the Managing Director and a member of the Dutch Board of Directors for Aldi in the Netherlands, he occupied various leading positions at Sales & Operations and at Finance & IT. In the role of Managing Director, which he held for 11 years, he was responsible for the company’s P&L, implementing tactical and strategic decisions, expanding and refurbishing the Aldi network, increasing the market share, and strengthening the competitive position. In this position he led a team of professionals responsible for Buying and Private Label development, Sales & Operations, Finance & Accounting (incl. HR and IT), Supply Chain, Real Estate & Business Development.
In the role of Board Director, William was also responsible for the development and decision-making of tactical and strategic policies. One of his main projects at Aldi was constructing, organizing and leading a new DC, incl. a new head-office and store network.
After 17 years with Aldi, sometime between 2012 and 2017, William served at different Russian public and private companies in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as the Commercial Project Director for Lenta LLC; interim Country manager for Dixy neighbourhood stores (with 2,500 stores); and CEO at CJSC Smart Value Retail for 3 years, operating and growing the Olivier Supermarkets in Moscow.
William has practiced in a wide scale of disciplines on operational and strategic levels, and he is seasoned in leading multi-functional and multi-cultural teams.
William is fluent in Dutch and English.