Magnit CEO Dunning to stay with company, not planning to leave Russia

MOSCOW. March 5 (Interfax) - Magnit CEO and President Jan Dunning will continue his work in the company and is not planning to leave Russia, a source in the retailer told Interfax, citing a statement by Dunning to employees.

Dunning is a citizen of the Netherlands. He joined Magnit in January 2019, taking the role of president, which was created for him. In June of that year he also became CEO.

"I continue to work at Magnit. We have 360,000 employees, 14 million customers every day, and I feel a responsibility toward each of them, so I must help them cope with a difficult situation. I have worked in Russia for nearly 20 years, I have got through many difficult periods. I saw opportunities in each of them and I see them in this one. Magnit will become stronger," Magnit told Interfax, quoting Dunning.

Dunning was Chief Executive Officer of Lenta in 2011-2018. Prior to that He was Operations Director of Metro Cash & Carry Russia and then General Manager of Metro Cash & Carry Ukraine. Previous experience also includes three years as General Manager of the Lukas Klamer wholesale business, a subsidiary of the Metro Group in the Netherlands, and over ten years with Aldi North.

Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov in January 2020 awarded Dunning the title of Honorary Trade Worker of the Russian Federation. In April that year Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Dunning with the Order of Friendship "for contribution to strengthening peace and cooperation between nations, and development of international economic relations in the field of trade."