Wolfgang Jess is to retire and will step down as CEO of the Witt Group with effect from 31 December 2021. Patrick Boos, currently CEO of the Baur Group, also an Otto Group company, will become the new Chairman of the Executive Board of this Otto Group focus company from 01 January 2022. His successor as Baur Group CEO will be announced at a later date.
With effect from 01 April 2021, Beatrice Grünwald will become the second Managing Director of the digital fashion company Sheego, alongside Dr Torge Doser. The highly experienced fashion manager will hold responsibility for the Purchasing/Product Board Area. Dr Torge Doser is to be appointed Chairman of the Management Board.
The internationally active parcel service provider InPost S.A. intends to acquire 100 percent of the shares in Mondial Relay. As the previous owner of Mondial Relay, the Otto Group sees the new constellation as an outstanding opportunity to provide the French parcel logistics company with excellent prospects for sustainable and continued business success.
As of 01 April 2021 Kevin Kufs will become CEO of Hermes Fulfilment GmbH, Hamburg. Kufs succeeds Georg Rau, who after almost seven successful years has decided to take on a new professional challenge at another company.
Initial forecasts indicate that the Otto Group will close the 2020/21 financial year, ending 28 February 2021, with online revenues of about 10 billion euros worldwide, compared with around 8.1 billion euros in 2019/20. In German e-commerce, the retail and services group is expected to generate revenues of around 6.9 billion euros, up on the 5.7 billion euros in the same period last year.
Effective December 31, 2020, the Otto Group has sold the Group's own Quality Assurance and Product Safety service provider, the Hansecontrol Group headquartered in Hamburg, to Qima, a leading global provider of supply-chain compliance solutions, headquartered in Hong Kong.
powercloud, the leading platform provider for energy suppliers, and the fintech company, collectAI, are launching a cooperation. By doing so, they are combining their expertise and offering new added value to energy suppliers. The goal of the cooperation is to digitize energy supplier processes in their entirety – end to end.
With effect from 1 March 2021, Hamburg-based international trading and services enterprise Otto Group will be strengthened by the appointment of Dr Christoph Schulte. As Group Vice President Corporate Strategy and Development, he will be reporting to Alexander Birken, Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Otto Group. The recognised strategy expert boasts a wealth of experience in international on- and offline retailing.
Kevin Kufs and Eva Witte will strengthen the Executive Board of Hermes Fulfilment GmbH, Hamburg at the beginning of 2021, alongside CEO Dr Georg Rau. Former COO Andreas Stumpf is to leave the company on 31 December 2020 at his own request to take up a new professional challenge at another retail company.
Undeterred by the corona pandemic and the recent lockdown, Otto Group companies are well positioned to cope with the very high number of online orders expected in the run up to Christmas. Given the current situation, Group companies are not anticipating any major bottlenecks in product availability nor do they envisage any delivery problems. Nevertheless, early orders are advisable as is the case every year.
During the pandemic, a fundamental change in consumer behaviour is triggering clear shifts in assortments and shopping channels. In the first half of the Otto Group’s 2020/21 financial year, online retail saw a strong rise in revenues – especially in the Living and Consumer Electronics segments.
As of 01 October 2020 Sebastian Walter will hold responsibility for the newly created Digital and Consulting Division as Vice President. In this position he will report directly to Sebastian Klauke, Otto Group Executive Board Member E-Commerce, Technology, Business Intelligence and Corporate Ventures.
After analysing all possible alternatives, planning for the closure in the mid-term of the last returns-processing facility in Germany operated by the Group company Hermes Fulfilment in Hamburg has begun. This inner-city facility is to be closed down in the second half of 2021, to give the 840 mainly part-time employees sufficient time for occupational reorientation.
With effect from 31 July 2020, the Otto Group has sold the Group company Otto Japan in a so-called management buy-out to the company Legego Inc. of the current CEO Seiki Maenosono. The Otto Group will remain active in Japan through the joint venture with the US outdoor specialist Eddie Bauer, Eddie Bauer Japan, which has existed for almost thirty years.
One of the largest and most experienced private equity investors Advent International (“Advent”) is taking a 25 percent shareholding in Hermes Germany and 75 percent in Hermes UK. This step opens up new opportunities for the Otto Group's parcel logistics companies to expand their current leading position in the two most important delivery markets in Europe.
Janet Hayes will be joining Crate & Barrel Holdings, Inc. on August 1st as its new CEO. A seasoned executive with over 25 years of retail experience, Hayes brings an outstanding track record of developing and repositioning brands with deep expertise in the home category. Between 2013 and 2019 she was President of the Williams-Sonoma brand where she led the successful turnaround of the San Francisco-based business.
After six successful years at the Otto Group - first as member of the Executive Board of the Otto Group responsible for Retail and later as CEO of Crate and Barrel - Neela has decided to leave the company on August 1st to pursue new opportunities. Neela informed the board of her decision late last year and the name of her successor will be announced shortly.
Effective from 15 June 2020, the Mytoys Group, an Otto Group company, will be led by Martin Schierer as CEO and Tobias Nieber as CFO. The long-serving Managing Directors of the successful Berlin-based e-commerce provider, Dr Oliver Lederle, Florian Forstmann (both also founders) and Alexander Lederle, will leave the company at their own wish.
As fastest growing fashion online shop,ABOUT YOU continues its successful international expansion and is now present in 14 European countries. In May and June, ABOUT YOU went online in four new markets: Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as an extension to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
In the past 2019/20 financial year the Otto Group exceeded its own revenue and earnings targets and thus secured a good basis from which to tackle the current challenging business environment. The internationally active retail and services group sees further growth opportunities in the current financial year but has lowered its earnings targets.
Wolfgang Jess is to retire and will step down as CEO of the Witt Group with effect from 31 December 2021. Patrick Boos, currently CEO of the Baur Group, also an Otto Group company, will become the new Chairman of the Executive Board of this Otto Group focus company from 01 January 2022. His successor as Baur Group CEO will be announced at a later date.
With effect from 01 April 2021, Beatrice Grünwald will become the second Managing Director of the digital fashion company Sheego, alongside Dr Torge Doser. The highly experienced fashion manager will hold responsibility for the Purchasing/Product Board Area. Dr Torge Doser is to be appointed Chairman of the Management Board.
The internationally active parcel service provider InPost S.A. intends to acquire 100 percent of the shares in Mondial Relay. As the previous owner of Mondial Relay, the Otto Group sees the new constellation as an outstanding opportunity to provide the French parcel logistics company with excellent prospects for sustainable and continued business success.
As of 01 April 2021 Kevin Kufs will become CEO of Hermes Fulfilment GmbH, Hamburg. Kufs succeeds Georg Rau, who after almost seven successful years has decided to take on a new professional challenge at another company.
Initial forecasts indicate that the Otto Group will close the 2020/21 financial year, ending 28 February 2021, with online revenues of about 10 billion euros worldwide, compared with around 8.1 billion euros in 2019/20. In German e-commerce, the retail and services group is expected to generate revenues of around 6.9 billion euros, up on the 5.7 billion euros in the same period last year.
Effective December 31, 2020, the Otto Group has sold the Group's own Quality Assurance and Product Safety service provider, the Hansecontrol Group headquartered in Hamburg, to Qima, a leading global provider of supply-chain compliance solutions, headquartered in Hong Kong.
With effect from 1 March 2021, Hamburg-based international trading and services enterprise Otto Group will be strengthened by the appointment of Dr Christoph Schulte. As Group Vice President Corporate Strategy and Development, he will be reporting to Alexander Birken, Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Otto Group. The recognised strategy expert boasts a wealth of experience in international on- and offline retailing.
Kevin Kufs and Eva Witte will strengthen the Executive Board of Hermes Fulfilment GmbH, Hamburg at the beginning of 2021, alongside CEO Dr Georg Rau. Former COO Andreas Stumpf is to leave the company on 31 December 2020 at his own request to take up a new professional challenge at another retail company.
Undeterred by the corona pandemic and the recent lockdown, Otto Group companies are well positioned to cope with the very high number of online orders expected in the run up to Christmas. Given the current situation, Group companies are not anticipating any major bottlenecks in product availability nor do they envisage any delivery problems. Nevertheless, early orders are advisable as is the case every year.
During the pandemic, a fundamental change in consumer behaviour is triggering clear shifts in assortments and shopping channels. In the first half of the Otto Group’s 2020/21 financial year, online retail saw a strong rise in revenues – especially in the Living and Consumer Electronics segments.
As of 01 October 2020 Sebastian Walter will hold responsibility for the newly created Digital and Consulting Division as Vice President. In this position he will report directly to Sebastian Klauke, Otto Group Executive Board Member E-Commerce, Technology, Business Intelligence and Corporate Ventures.
After analysing all possible alternatives, planning for the closure in the mid-term of the last returns-processing facility in Germany operated by the Group company Hermes Fulfilment in Hamburg has begun. This inner-city facility is to be closed down in the second half of 2021, to give the 840 mainly part-time employees sufficient time for occupational reorientation.
With effect from 31 July 2020, the Otto Group has sold the Group company Otto Japan in a so-called management buy-out to the company Legego Inc. of the current CEO Seiki Maenosono. The Otto Group will remain active in Japan through the joint venture with the US outdoor specialist Eddie Bauer, Eddie Bauer Japan, which has existed for almost thirty years.
One of the largest and most experienced private equity investors Advent International (“Advent”) is taking a 25 percent shareholding in Hermes Germany and 75 percent in Hermes UK. This step opens up new opportunities for the Otto Group's parcel logistics companies to expand their current leading position in the two most important delivery markets in Europe.
Effective from 15 June 2020, the Mytoys Group, an Otto Group company, will be led by Martin Schierer as CEO and Tobias Nieber as CFO. The long-serving Managing Directors of the successful Berlin-based e-commerce provider, Dr Oliver Lederle, Florian Forstmann (both also founders) and Alexander Lederle, will leave the company at their own wish.
In the past 2019/20 financial year the Otto Group exceeded its own revenue and earnings targets and thus secured a good basis from which to tackle the current challenging business environment. The internationally active retail and services group sees further growth opportunities in the current financial year but has lowered its earnings targets.
As of 01 March 2020 Dr Tobias Wollermann will lead the Vice Presidential Division Corporate Responsibility Otto Group. The long-serving Group Vice President Dr Johannes Merck is to take up an advisory role within the retail and services company at his own wish.
Through specific measures to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions in its core business processes, the retail and services company Otto Group wants to become carbon-neutral by 2030. The Executive Board has set this target for the Group’s own sites, transportation and employee mobility as well as its external computing centres and cloud services. The Otto Group considers carbon offsetting as a necessary but last-choice measure in achieving the goal.
According to preliminary forecasts the Otto Group will close the 2019/2020 financial year ending 29 February 2020 with global online revenues of around 8.1 billion euros, compared to 7.7 billion euros for the 2018/2019 financial year. In the German e-commerce market, the retail and services group generated revenues of approximately 5.6 billion euros, versus 5.3 billion euros in the previous year.
The internationally renowned top manager Sergio Bucher is to be appointed as a new Member of the Executive Board of the retail and services company Otto Group with effect from 01 February 2020, with responsibility for Brands and Retail.
> New highs in revenue and EBITDA > Strong investment in debt purchases: another step towards becoming a global financial investor > “We will greatly expand our real estate-secured business, besides unsecured debt purchasing.”
Europe in the mood to spend. In June, the GfK Consumer Climate for the 28 EU member states reached 23.2 points, its highest level since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2007. Europeans are getting tired of saving and are spending more on consumption. Greater liquidity also means that companies are likely to benefit from improved payment practices.
Berlin-based operational VC Project A today announces its agreement with London-based private equity group 3i to invest in Lampenwelt, Europe's leading online retailer for lighting fixtures.
EOS Consolidated, which is headquartered in Hamburg, recorded a successful performance in fiscal 2015/16. Its EBT of EUR 181.4 million was well above the previous year’s result. The international debt collection company was also able to increase its sales to EUR 596.1 million.
On 1 July 2016, the international EOS Group acquired 100% of the shares in debt collection service provider Contentia in France and Belgium. The EOS Group already has a successful debt collection company in each of the two countries.
Following a private sale process, the 3SI Group today signed an agreement to sell its multichannel stock-clearance business, Cogemag-Excédence, to Artmadis, BtoB distributors and France’s leading tableware and cookware company.
Klaus Engberding, responsible for the region Germany on the EOS Group Board of Directors, will take over the CEO position of the international leading provider of receivables management effective 1 March 2017. Hans-Werner Scherer, the current long-time and extremely successful CEO, is leaving the Group of his own volition in order to retire.
Cologne-based start-up Homeday announced the successful closing of their Series A financing round today. In May this year, the renowned venture capital companies Project A and Paua Ventures committed among others to investing a seven-figure amount in the rapidly growing company, which is active in the field of property technology (called “PropTech”) and has chosen to specialize in particular in the data-driven pairing of real estate agents with appropriate customers.
With Bonprix CEO Dr Marcus Ackermann’s move to the Otto Group Executive Board as of 01 January 2017, the international fashion company will have a reshaped executive management team. Bonprix’s own Markus Fuchshofen and OTTO’s Dr Richard Gottwald will join the current Executive Directors Rien Jansen and Dr Kai Heck on the Bonprix Executive Board.
Early stage investor and operational VC Project A has announced an investment of 4 million euros in Lost My Name, one of the leading creators of personalized children’s content. With this extension of the Series A round, Project A joins the circle of renowned international investors, including lead investor Google Ventures, Greycroft and Allen & Co. Project A’s founding partner Florian Heinemann will also join the company’s board. Lost My Name’s first personalized children’s book “The Little Boy/Girl Who Lost His/Her Name” was one of the bestselling children’s book globally in 2015. With their second book, “The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home”, they are well on their way to repeat this success.
Further to the approval of the French Competition Authority, 3SI Group has signed, on 30 May, the acquisition of Girard-Agediss, the French leader in the delivery of bulky items and furniture to professional customers, private individuals and internet users. Further to an open transfer process, 3SI Group has signed, on 31 May, the sale of Becquet to Domoti, a well-known distance seller headquartered in Marquette-lez-Lille.
Today, e.ventures is announcing the closing of a new $150 million early stage fund to target Europe’s best businesses and entrepreneurs, bringing e.ventures’ total assets under management today to more than $1 billion. This new fund, focused on seed and Series A rounds, will be deployed alongside an already active $290 million global growth investment vehicle which targets subsequent financing rounds, allowing entrepreneurs to gain the full benefit of e.ventures’ expertise through the full investment lifecycle.
The Hermes Group, continuing years of successful growth, also records impressive figures in the 2015 fiscal year. The trade and logistics services provider based in Hamburg has increased its turnover by 11% to €2,460 million (€2,230 million in 2014). A key contributor to this was the fast-growing international parcel and logistics business, driven by the booming e-commerce.
Digital Health startup launches platform providing global access to high quality medical treatments.
As part of its new strategic course to focus on growing service activities, the 3SI Group has decided to sell all of its retail activities in France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.
BorderGuru, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hermes Group, has become the official contractual partner of China's Alibaba Group. With a gross merchandise value (GMV) of 452 bn USD and access to over 280 million customers, the Alibaba Group is currently the world's leading online retailer. Through its TMall Global shopping platform, Alibaba offers its Chinese customers popular international brands. On behalf of Cainiao, the logistics provider of the Chinese trading giant, BorderGuru GmbH is managing the whole logistics cross-border shipping process for European clients looking to sell on the booming Chinese market.
Order-picking logistics specialist Dispeo has just welcomed a new customer on board: Camaïeu. As part of a partnership due to begin in July 2016, France’s leading female clothing retailer will be availing itself of Dispeo’s services for its e-commerce activities and store flows management.
Jan Kegelberg, who has taken over the newly created position of a Chief Digital Officer at SportScheck in Munich in August, joins the management board of the company on February 1, 2016. In this role, he will be responsible for e-commerce sales, marketing and customer intelligence.
The Mytoys Group, one of Germany's most successful E-Commerce companies, will open its first technology location outside Germany. MYTOYS plans to open a TechLab in Madrid.
To support the strong growth of its subsidiary's activities and to enable it to increase its market share in a rapidly expanding sector, the 3SI Group has introduced a plan to mechanise all of its Mondial Relay branches.
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