METRO career: Evolve, grow, lead

From trainee to manager – a career at METRO offers a wide range of opportunities with good promotion prospects. What does a career in food wholesale look like and what occupational activities are there?

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The largest sales in the German food industry in 2023 was achieved by food wholesalers with 253 billion euros – generated by 268,726 employees.
A career at METRO: different ways to succeed

What´s all about?

  • What career opportunities does METRO offer?
  • What fields of employment are there in food wholesale?
  • What advancement opportunities does a career at METRO offer?

A career at METRO offers a wide range of career opportunities, including at the customer’s premises, at the supplier’s avocado plantation or at the local wholesale store. The fields of employment range from sales, purchasing, logistics and supply to finance, marketing and IT. Depending on their interests and skills, employees can pursue a variety of careers in the different areas.

Starting a career at METRO

If you want to pursue a career at METRO, you have various options. In addition to traditional vocational training, the food wholesaler offers dual study courses, trainee programmes and the 3-in-3 high secondary level programme. The latter enables secondary level graduates to complete three degrees in just three years. But the career opportunities are also open to experienced professionals and career changers. They are offered a wide range of opportunities at the company headquarters as well as in the wholesale stores, in customer management, in field service and back office divisions or in the delivery depots.

👉 Insights into training at METRO can be found on TikTok

Fields of employment in food wholesale

A career in food wholesale offers various occupational activities: In sales, the focus is on maintaining existing customer relationships and building new ones. Customer managers must respond flexibly to the needs of customers and keep an eye on trends in the food market. Candidates with a passion for procurement and logistics will find international career opportunities in purchasing and supply chain management. The focus here is on efficient procurement of food, warehousing and optimisation of supply chains. The subsequent delivery of goods also plays a key role. It offers dynamic activities in depot management or field service. In the finance division, the focus is on budgeting, cost control and financial planning. Employees in this division support strategic decisions and contribute to the company’s profitability. Digitalisation is also becoming increasingly important in food wholesale. Careers in IT management offer the opportunity to implement innovative technologies and improve business processes. The food wholesale division also offers prospects in marketing, human resources, product development, quality control, food safety and many other areas.

Career paths at METRO can look very different

Udo Höfer

Being comfortable with friction

What makes a good store manager? Udo Höfer discusses the job he loves – and the unusual route that took him there.

A wide range of duties and an unusual CV

Udo Höfer studied engineering, served in the military and eventually joined the food industry in 1992. He has been working for METRO for 31 years and has been Managing Director in Krefeld since 2010. In this interview , he tells MPULSE what kind of person he is and what makes his work special.

Andrea Ceballos portrait

Between avocados and excel spreadsheets

Andrea Ceballos Mascarell procures fruit and vegetables for one of METRO's international trading offices. A visit.

Farm to desk – all in a day’s work

Andrea Ceballos Mascarell procures fruit and vegetables for one of METRO’s international trading offices. Her daily tasks include supplier visits, team meetings and price negotiations. We are visiting the industrial design graduate to find out what she really likes about her current job and what the International Trading Office in Valencia actually does.

Oliver Weller R Express

A passion for the hospitality industry

From chef to sales manager at R Express – Oliver Weller knows what restaurateurs need: fresh quality products.

From chef to sales manager at R Express

As a young boy, Oliver Weller used to look over his godfather’s shoulder as he chopped vegetables and seared meat in the restaurant kitchen. Motivated by this experience, he embarked on the path of becoming a chef and realised that this was the right industry for him. After 15 years, however, he switched from the kitchen to sales at R Express. He tells MPULSE why.

Gündüz Bayer

Globetrotter

Gündüz Bayer, Managing Director Region Asia at METRO PROPERTIES, on international work and modern leadership.

International work and modern leadership

Gündüz Bayer, Managing Director Region Asia at METRO PROPERTIES, works across national borders. He has been leading international teams for 25 years. In an interview with MPULSE, he explains what it takes and how his unusual management style has evolved.


METRO Sales Force - close to the customer

Among professionals

A sale at any cost? No way. The METRO sales force relies on personal advice in the back office and field service.

Field service consulting on equal footing

Sven Dörkes is a customer manager in the Rhineland, making him the contact person for roughly 600 customers. As part of the sales force, he ensures that professional customers feel they’re in good hands right from the start. More about the power team at METRO.


METRO continues to be top employer in Germany and seven other countries

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Every year, the Top Employers Institute honours companies that place their employees at the centre of their entrepreneurial activities and offer them an outstanding working and development environment. METRO is once again one of the companies honoured this year: In addition to METRO AG including the companies METRO Campus Services, METRO ADVERTISING, METRO PROPERTIES and METRO Insurance Broker, the national companies France, Poland, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and Pakistan were also certified.

👉 Press release: METRO continues to be top employer in Germany and seven other countries

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