German coffee roaster and retailer Tchibo has appointed a new chief executive.

Erik Hofstädter has moved from general manager of Tchibo’s Austrian business to head the entire company, succeeding Werner Weber who will return to the company’s supervisory board.

“We have found an excellent internal candidate to succeed me,” Weber said.

Hofstädter previously held senior marketing roles at Coca-Cola, Red Bull and Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli. 

“He is a high-profile marketing and sales expert who has made a great contribution in his three years as general manager of our Austrian company,” Weber added. “He will vigorously drive forward the initiated expansion of the business with his own input and ideas.”

Hofstädter said: “Tchibo is a very special company for me. Over the past three years, I have learned about the strength of the Tchibo system and helped to shape it. I look forward to contributing to the further development of the entire group in Hamburg with the knowledge I have acquired in Austria.”

Founded in 1949, Tchibo operates around 550 branded coffee shops in Germany and a further 320 across Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Turkey. The company also sells packaged coffee products through grocery retail, including through major chains such as REWE.

Tchibo achieved sales of €3.25bn ($3.55bn) in 2022. It employed more than 11,300 staff.

Earlier this year, the German company announced plans to make a multi-million-pound investment in the production headquarters of its UK subsidiary Matthew Algie.

Matthew Algie’s new investment programme at the site in Glasgow will allow the company to roast more than 2,500 tonnes of coffee annually.

The project will also include the introduction of a new green bean handling and blending system, upgraded automation, new conveying systems and packaging lines.