Kingfisher names OBI chief Sebastian Gundel as next CEO from February 2027

Kingfisher plc, the owner of B&Q, Screwfix and TradePoint, has appointed Sebastian Gundel, chief executive of German home improvement retailer OBI, as its next chief executive from 1 February 2027.

The company said on 13 October 2026 that Gundel will join its board on the same date. Thierry Garnier will stay in post until 31 December 2026, when he steps down as CEO and as a director, and chief financial officer Bhavesh Mistry will serve as interim CEO during January 2027.

Chair Claudia Arney will remain in her role until the company's 2029 annual general meeting, which Kingfisher said would provide continuity through the handover.

Sebastian Gundel, CEO Designate, said: "The industry is evolving rapidly, creating significant opportunities across trade, digital, marketplaces, services and new customer propositions."

The appointment

Gundel became OBI's chief executive in 2022. Kingfisher describes OBI as a home improvement company with over 660 stores and 40,000 colleagues across ten countries, including its home market of Germany.

Before taking the top job he was OBI's Chief Customer & Digital Officer from 2020, leading its digital growth strategy and the launch of the heyOBI ecosystem, which Kingfisher said has grown to more than 10 million registered users. His responsibilities covered loyalty, marketplaces and ecosystem development, as well as expanding the retailer's trade propositions.

As Country Manager for Austria from 2017, he integrated the acquired Baumax business, expanding OBI Austria from about 15 stores to 70, according to Kingfisher. He also set up and led OBI Next, the company's innovation hub, developing loyalty, retail media, marketplace and home services platforms.

Gundel joined OBI in 2012 as Head of Corporate Development after three years at OC&C Strategy Consultants. He holds a doctorate in business administration and economics from the University of Münster.

Thierry Garnier, CEO, said: "Sebastian brings deep sector expertise, a strong customer focus and a proven track record of performance."

Kingfisher said Gundel's remuneration package is in line with its remuneration policy, with further details to be disclosed in the 2026/27 annual report.

The succession

Kingfisher announced on 6 May 2026 that Garnier had resigned after nearly seven years as CEO to take a senior leadership role at a company outside Kingfisher's markets. At the time the company said it had a succession plan in place and that its Nomination Committee was leading the search for his successor.

Garnier's own appointment was announced on 27 June 2019, when he succeeded Véronique Laury, who stepped down from the board and as CEO by the end of September 2019. He joined Kingfisher after 20 years in senior roles at the French retailer Carrefour.

The business Gundel inherits

Kingfisher describes itself as an international home improvement company with over 1,800 stores, employing over 70,000 people in seven European countries. Its banners include B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôt, Screwfix, TradePoint and Koçtaş.

Its strategic plan, which it calls 'Powered by Kingfisher', aims to maximise the benefits of combining its retail banners. The company says trade customers typically visit its stores more often and spend more than the average retail customer, and it is expanding its trade proposition across its banners.

For the year to 31 January 2026, Kingfisher reported trade sales penetration of 30% as a strategy metric. It also reported group marketplace gross merchandise value of £518m, and said its own exclusive brands generated £5.5bn of sales, or 43% of group sales.

On the store estate, Kingfisher said it had 39 Screwfix City stores open, 13 of them new in the year, and opened 41 net new stores across all banners.

The themes in Gundel's OBI record, trade, digital, marketplaces and loyalty, match the growth drivers Kingfisher sets out in its own strategy, and Arney said he combined home improvement retail experience with expertise in those strategic growth drivers.

What happens next

Kingfisher published its half-year results for the period to 31 July 2026 on 22 September 2026. According to its financial calendar, the next scheduled events are an interim dividend payment on 13 November 2026 and a provisional third-quarter trading update on 24 November 2026.

Garnier's final day as CEO is 31 December 2026, with Gundel taking charge on 1 February 2027.