🎙️ From Venture to Core: How Dish Became Central to Metro’s Strategy Episode #46 – Beyond Core Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Volker Gläser, CEO of Dish Digital Solutions, about how a digital startup inside a 60-year-old wholesale giant turned into a platform that's now at the heart of Metro's business.

Dish started with a bold vision: help restaurants and hospitality businesses digitize their operations—not just for their own benefit, but to drive transformation at Metro itself.

"Dish was set up as a toolbox to help our customers become more digital—because only if they succeed, Metro succeeds."

Volker shares the full journey—from launching Dish as a separate legal entity to integrating it back into Metro as a core strategic asset. Along the way, Dish built one of the largest digital ecosystems for hospitality in Europe, now serving over 360,000 restaurants across 16 countries.

"Today, we can clearly measure that customers using Dish create 10% more value in Metro’s core food business than those who don’t."

He also offers valuable insights into leadership, data strategy, AI, and what it takes to build a venture that not only survives but redefines the core:

"We were told: build your own entity, move fast, and create impact—and when ready, bring it back to the core. That’s exactly what we did."

📍 Listen now to learn how platform thinking, loyalty-driven data, and venture building are reshaping the wholesale and hospitality industry.

learn more about:

https://www.metro.de/ https://www.dish.co/DE/de/

Volker Gläser on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/volkerglaeser/

fastbreak.One: www.fastbreak.one