Gerrit Schneider and Heinz Hackl jointly lead Bogner as co-CEOs

Gerrit Schneider and Heinz Hackl will assume responsibility as co-CEOs of Willy Bogner GmbH & Co. KGaA on April 1, 2020. Andreas Baumgärtner, who has been CEO of Bogner since November 2017, will resign on March 31, 2020 due to personal reasons. Gerrit Schneider and Heinz Hackl will continue the strategic realignment and further development of the company which has been implemented together with Andreas Baumgärtner. Andreas Baumgärtner will remain associated with the company in an advisory role and will be significantly involved in the alignment and design process of the upcoming collections.

“I deeply regret Andreas Baumgärtner's decision to leave the company as CEO. But of course, we respect his decision. Together with the Bogner family and the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Andreas for his great commitment and how he successfully drove the development of the BOGNER collections and the strategic realignment of the company,” says Arndt Geiwitz, who acts as trustee in Willy Bogner's role as shareholder. "With Gerrit Schneider and Heinz Hackl we have a strong, well-coordinated management team that has helped shape the successful course of the past two years and will continue to do so. At the same time, I am very pleased that Andreas will remain with the company in an advisory role. We'll be happy to continue to draw on his expertise and network.”

"Together with Gerrit Schneider and Heinz Hackl, we have put the traditional BOGNER brand back on the right track over the past two years. We have achieved the turnaround and see a continuous positive business development. Therefore it is the right time for me to hand over responsibility to have more time with my family," explains Andreas Baumgärtner, CEO of Willy Bogner GmbH & Co. KGaA, and adds: "I have always been very passionate about BOGNER and the BOGNER collections. I will therefore remain closely connected to the company and look forward to help shape the design of future collections.”

The business development of Bogner in the 2019/20 financial year confirms the strategic realignment and the increased brand awareness of the new collections. Sales and operating profit continued to grow. Bogner will shortly communicate its financial results for 2019/20 as soon as the annual financial statements are available.

“The BOGNER brand and collections have become significantly more attractive within the luxury sports fashion segment. The strategic realignment is beginning to pay off,” says Heinz Hackl, CSO and future co-CEO of Willy Bogner GmbH & Co. KGaA. Gerrit Schneider, CFO and future co-CEO adds: “Bogner has a lot of potential. We are consistently progressing on the path we have chosen and are working intensively on our performance in order to make Bogner fit for the future.”