Johannes Greller (35) will form the management of Austria's brand discounter PENNY from August 1, 2025, together with Niko Karras. The position became vacant due to the transition of Kai Pataky, who will be responsible for sales as a BILLA Executive Board member.
Johannes Greller began his career at REWE Group in 2019 in In-house Consulting and played a key role as a project manager in the introduction of the BILLA purchasing model as well as leading programs to optimize the fresh supply chain. He studied International Management in Vienna and Rotterdam and spent five years at PwC Strategy&, focusing on the food retail sector before joining the REWE Group. At the REWE Group, he was responsible for transformation projects sPORT and NEO as one of the program leads for International Business Trade for nearly two years. In 2022, he was appointed Head of In-house Consulting for International Trade at the REWE Group, where he conducted numerous consulting projects and supported strategic processes. In March 2025, he was appointed to the management of jö.
As the new Managing Director of PENNY, Johannes Greller will be responsible for procurement, marketing, controlling, corporate communication, strategy, project management, as well as organization and auditing, and will lead the management together with Niko Karras. Karras will continue to oversee sales, expansion, building technology, and people and culture with a coordination function in REWE International AG.
Alexander Merklein joins the jö Management Team
With Johannes Greller’s move to PENNY, Alexander Merklein (38) will take over the vacant position as of July 1 during a transitional phase. Alexander Merklein has been with BILLA since 2021, where he has been responsible for strategy and transformation, and since 2023 also for CRM. Prior to that, he worked for nine years at McKinsey & Company, leading numerous projects primarily in the consumer goods and retail sectors. At BILLA, he has driven the strategic development of the CRM area, focusing on digitalization and significant successful campaigns such as the community campaign “I live for my club” or collectible albums, and promoted a consistent customer orientation in BILLA's strategic direction.
Alexander Merklein studied International Management at WU Vienna and earned his doctorate in Business Administration and Management at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
In the future, Alexander Merklein will be responsible for CRM & Program Management, Marketing, Corporate Communication, and Business Development within the jö management team. Nikolai Scheurecker will continue to lead the departments of Analytics & Technology, Retail Analytics, Central Customer Service, and Finance & Compliance.
