Oda appoints logistics veteran as CEO, launches service for other retailers

André Knüppel became chief executive of Oda Group in February 2025, replacing Chris Poad who departed after less than a year in the role. The shift marked a clear change in direction: where Poad had overseen rapid growth, Knüppel's first priority is demonstrating that Oda's Nordic operations can turn a sustained profit.

Knüppel spent eight years at Oda and its Swedish subsidiary Mathem before his promotion, latterly serving as chief operating officer. His appointment coincided with the launch of Oda Systems, a logistics-as-a-service platform offering the company's proprietary software and automation to other European grocery retailers seeking to build profitable online delivery operations.

The timing reflects lessons learned from expansion failures. Oda spent €49 million and €24 million on failed operations in Germany and Finland respectively in 2023, incurred whilst attempting to replicate its Nordic success in new markets as a direct grocer. Knüppel said the company realised that "logistics-as-a-service is what makes us unique" and concluded that selling its systems to established retailers was "a better fit".

Oda's core Nordic business has been pulling in the right direction. Revenue in Norway expanded 15% last year while Mathem's operational efficiency jumped, and the group slashed fixed costs to the tune of €69 million. The company reported profitability for isolated months and expects to run at a full-year profit in Norway through 2025.

Much of that progress rests on operational efficiency. Oda's Norwegian warehouses achieved 275 units processed per hour in 2024, with a target of 300 by year-end. In Sweden, Mathem reached 223 units per hour just three months after adopting Oda's systems. That matters because the metric directly correlates to labour costs; higher throughput means lower per-order fulfilment expense. By contrast, many online grocers have struggled to make the unit economics work.

Knüppel indicated that Oda has fielded interest from major European retailers in the Oda Systems offering. A four-month implementation at Mathem, where legacy systems had to be integrated, could shrink to three months for retailers building from scratch. The platform is modular and adaptable, designed to be installed with minimal capital outlay (about 70% less than competitor solutions, Oda claims).

The appointment of Knüppel also offers a different picture of Oda's leadership. His background sits outside pure retail: he began his career in automotive with Saab, later held roles in industrial controls and renewable energy, and co-founded a consultancy focused on lean business methodology. He joined Oda as a consultant before deciding to "crack the code" of making online grocery profitable, a challenge that has defeated numerous well-funded competitors.

Oda was founded in 2013 as Kolonial.no and rebranded in 2021 following a €223 million Series C funding round from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Prosus. The company holds over 70% of Norway's online grocery market and acquired Swedish rival Mathem in 2023. Its co-founders (Karl Munthe-Kaas, Christian Mikalsen and Vegard Aakre Vik) remain involved, with Munthe-Kaas stepping back to the role of co-founder after serving as CEO.

For European entrepreneurs and investors, Oda's pivot matters. The company is betting that there is more value in selling logistics infrastructure to rivals than in trying to win every market directly. If the LaaS model gains traction among established European grocers wrestling with e-commerce profitability, it could reshape how online delivery operates across the continent and position Oda as the profit engine of Nordic grocery, rather than the growth-at-all-costs player it once appeared to be.