Friday, September 25, 2026

LINDA AG reshapes executive board

LINDA AG is changing its executive leadership. The supervisory board has appointed Dr. Sven Simons as chief executive officer, effective 1 October 2026. Dr. Christina Froböse will also join the executive board, while Sebastian Kropp will remain a board member.

The company will therefore be led by a three-person executive board. The changes are linked to LINDA’s future strategic positioning and its cooperation with PHOENIX.

Volker Karg leaves the board

Volker Karg has stepped down from his mandate by mutual agreement with the supervisory board. He had served as spokesperson of the LINDA AG executive board for more than twelve years. According to the company, his tenure included key developments in the digital transformation and brand positioning of LINDA pharmacies.

The supervisory board acknowledged Karg’s role in developing the pharmacy umbrella brand. The new leadership structure is intended to support the economic and structural development of local pharmacies within the network.

PHOENIX executives join LINDA leadership

Simons and Froböse are both experienced managers from PHOENIX, which is LINDA AG’s strategic partner and shareholder. The investment by PHOENIX had been supported in April by delegates of the Marketing Verein Deutscher Apotheker e.V.

LINDA AG plans to deepen its operational and strategic cooperation with PHOENIX. The stated objective is to make additional expertise, new healthcare services and growth opportunities available to owner-managed pharmacies.

Focus on competition, digital services and local care

The new executive team is expected to further develop the LINDA brand for local pharmacies. Priorities include digital health offerings, stronger customer retention and services that help pharmacies with commercial management.

The company points to a more demanding competitive environment, including foreign mail-order pharmacies as well as national and international players. LINDA describes the strengthening of pharmacies’ economic performance as a central aim of the realignment.

According to the company, Simons brings experience as a former independent LINDA pharmacist and from pharmacy-related committees. Together with Froböse and Kropp, he is expected to develop LINDA further as a platform for independent pharmacies.

LINDA as pharmacy umbrella brand

LINDA pharmacies form a cooperation of independent pharmacists under a shared umbrella brand. According to the company, the network comprises 4,800 LINDA pharmacies, including 500 premium pharmacies. The umbrella brand is owned by LINDA AG, which is headquartered in Cologne.