About

Dr Martin Fröhlich has worked on some of the most exciting M&A developments in the food sector in the past few years in his position of general counsel and head of M&A for KRÜGER Group. 2018 saw the acquisition of the Maximuscle and MaxiNutrition brands from GlaxoSmithKline, an extremely sage move given the brand’s popularity in the lucrative and growing sports nutrition and healthy food sector in the UK. ‘The Maxi acquisition was not only in terms of operational involvement key for the Group but also because these well-known brands formed the basis for the newly established business unit to roll out its activities in Europe’, Dr Fröhlich explains. ‘The acquisition of the Maximuscle and MaxiNutrition brands was one of my key highlights in my in-house career so far. It was a very important experience to be involved in an M&A process not only from the beginning of the (legal) acquisition process but also until the very end of the post-closing integration process. This experience has broadened my horizon in terms of requirements for an in-house counsel. It has been a highlight to accompany and support such a project in a way an external counsel would never have’. The year 2019 has continued the Group’s expansive M&A posture: ‘In 2019 the KRÜGER Group acquired the German healthy bars company HAFERVOLL. Although a start-up, it is a market leader in the fast-growing healthy snacking segment in Germany. This was again a milestone for the still young healthy food business unit’. Dr Fröhlich has been with the KRÜGER Group legal team since its inception, and recalls his first objectives upon establishing the team. ‘I first hat to gently “educate” the organisation that the legal department is not a blocker to the business but a true business partner and an efficient service provider that adds value and offers benefit. The legal department is now involved and consulted in all major projects early-on’. In terms of extra-curricular activities, Dr Fröhlich has one particularly rewarding role. Besides his professional career with the KRÜGER Group, he is currently serving as unsalaried, honorary president of the German traditional football club Alemannia Aachen and contributed with his legal background to the restructuring and reorganisation of the club after insolvency proceedings.