The clothing retailer Bonprix, which belongs to the Hamburg-based retail conglomerate Otto Group, is getting a new CEO. Torben Hansen will take over the helm position from 1 April, the Otto Group, as announced on Monday. He will also take over the sales division from his predecessor Richard Gottwald, who is retiring at the end of May.
Hansen previously worked for the food delivery service Bringmeister. There he was managing director of Bringmeister GmbH, Bringmeister Fulfillment GmbH and Bringmeister Logistik GmbH and initiated a transformation to make the company independent of its previous owner Edeka, according to a press release. Prior to this, he was vice president recommerce at Berlin-based online retailer Zalando between 2014 and 2022. During this time, he established online resale for fashion on the platform and drove forward activities in twelve countries. He also worked for the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Saarbrücken and the management and strategy consultancy McKinsey & Company.
“His professional career is impressive and characterised by outstanding achievements, entrepreneurial drive and strategic skill in various industries, not least in the fashion segment,” said Marcus Ackermann, Otto Group executive board member for Multichannel Distance Selling, of Hansen’s appointment. “Torben Hansen therefore has exactly the skills and expertise needed to lead Bonprix into a sustainably successful future.”
Gottwald, who first worked for the Otto Group as a junior controller in 1989, has held the role of Bonprix CEO since 2019, having been a member of the executive board since 2016.
Managing director e-commerce, sales Germany, brand and advertising leaves Bonprix
In addition to Gottwald, Markus Fuchshofen is also leaving Bonprix after almost 30 years with the company. According to the Otto Group, the mail-order retailer and the previous managing director for e-Commerce, sales Germany, brand and advertising are parting ways “on the best of terms” at the end of January.
Fuchshofen had also been part of the Bonprix management team since 2016. He joined the company in 1994 and has held various positions since then. Among other things, he drove the digital transformation of the brand.
In addition to Hansen, the Bonprix management team now consists of Carolin Klar, managing director product and sourcing, Kai Heck, managing director finance and logistics, and Matthias Wlaka, managing director IT and technology. Wlaka is the latest addition to Bonprix. He will not take up this position until 1 January 2024.