Second chief executive

Klaus Estfeller, 32, has been appointed as the second chief executive of the AHS, the Austrian Hartwaren Service and Marketing organisation. He will manage the central office of the buying group jointly with Andreas Pilliczar, 39, ceo of Öbau. The new AHS buying director is Johannes Hofmarcher (29). The AHS, which is a joint subsidiary of Öbau and 3e, claims to achieve a purchasing volume of € 14.5 bn together with existing European cooperatives and strategic alliances. More than 3 000 stores in Europe are affiliated to the group.