“Things that belong together will find their way to each other…”
This was the motto of the day when over 4,000 people met at the Tripsdrill amusement park on 28th September to celebrate the newly founded IT and digital division of the Schwarz Group: Schwarz Digits. Find out what this is all about and what highlights the day in Baden-Württemberg had in store for us KECse.
Growing together: Into the Future with Schwarz Digits
Along with the current divisions of Kaufland, Lidl, PreZero and Schwarz Produktion, Schwarz Digits is now the 5th pillar of the Schwarz Group – and serves as the digital powerhouse for all the associated companies.
The name “Schwarz Digits” is short for Schwarz Digital IT Services and encompasses 8 brands:
- Schwarz IT KG
- Schwarz Digital
- Schwarz Media
- STACKIT
- XM Cyber
- mmmake
- Lidl e-commerce
- Kaufland e-commerce
Under the dual leadership of the Co-CEOs Rolf Schumann and Christian Müller, the new division brings together 7,500 people who have one thing in common: They are shaping the future of the Schwarz Group’s digital ecosystem. Whether it’s IT infrastructure, online marketplaces, retail media, cloud services or cybersecurity – we have the expertise and are burning for innovative solutions.
Celebrating together: Our Trip to Tripsdrill
More than 4,000 people attended the launch of Schwarz Digits at Tripsdrill. For all the KECse who don’t live in southern Germany, the journey started a bit earlier with the travel time to get to the area. As soon as they arrived at the amusement park, most colleagues went straight to the many rides and made new friends from other divisions.
The queues at the “Mammut”, “Hals-über-Kopf” and “Karacho” rollercoasters made it clear that many of our Schwarz Digits colleagues like to aim just as high in their private lives as at work. But the relaxed rides on water or on land, for example in wine barrels, were also quite popular. Whether fast, wild or low-key: All the attractions in Tripsdrill stood out because of their local colour, which runs through the detail-oriented design of the entire amusement park and gives it its special flair.
Creating the future together: How the Co-CEOs of Schwarz Digits are setting the course for our common journey
Just in time for the park’s gates and rides to close, the catering opened its doors – and from pizza to poke bowls, there was something for every palate. With full tummies and cold drinks in hand, the employees of the newly minted Schwarz Digits gathered in the event area in front of the stage. A countdown sounded off the remaining minutes until the much-anticipated opening speech by Rolf Schumann and Christian Müller, who serve as the joint Co-CEOs of Schwarz Digits.
Rolf Schumann was deeply moved by the numerous colleagues who attended the event and gave us a very personal insight into his previous collaboration with Christian Müller: In a humorous anecdote, he described how his suggestions were often rejected by his colleague – and that new, even better ideas arose after the two of them had held intense discussions.
This pattern of thesis, antithesis and synthesis set the tone for the evening, which was all about successful teamwork and synergies. Scene-setting video clips of colleagues from a cross-section of fields preceded the announcement of Schwarz Digits and its eight brands, to a steady chorus of cheers from the speakers’ teammates.
There’s a German saying that when things grow towards each other, they belong together, and this was in clear view at Tripsdrill – not only for pragmatic reasons but also on a human level. The two Co-CEOs of Schwarz Digits had another surprise for us: They announced, to enthusiastic cheers, that a couple of rollercoasters would still be operating for another two hours after their speech. In the rush of lights some of us went on the rollercoasters while others jammed to the band “DIE DICKEN KINDER” on the main stage.
At the end of an impressive day, bus shuttles and cabs ensured that everyone ended up in their (hotel) beds. But during the return trip the next day, some of the colleagues were already hard at work again, because as we all know, the future doesn’t wait. Or in other words: Work hard, play hard!