MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Effective 6 September 2016, Willy Bogner, owner of the international sports fashion group, has appointed Alexander Wirth Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of Willy Bogner GmbH & Co. KGaA. Alexander Wirth has already been in charge of the operations of the Munich fashion company since the beginning of this year. Willy Bogner is with this appointment implementing his plan to hand over the company’s operational management to the 41-year-old fashion expert. As the owner, Bogner, a skiing and fashion legend, will continue to assist Alexander Wirth with his task to firmly establish the company at the top of the international sports fashion business in the coming years.
Willy Bogner, who holds 88.49% of the shares in Willy Bogner KGaA with Sônia Bogner and his daughter, recruited Alexander Wirth, who for many years was head of Ralph Lauren Germany, as of 1 January 2016, and since joining Bogner, Alexander Wirth has continuously aligned the operational structures of the company with the objectives defined by Willy Bogner. Most recently, he strengthened management for the future by appointing new Board members for the areas Procurement and Production and Sales.
“I am delighted to hand over operational management to Alexander Wirth and, with Sônia Bogner, I will assist him in achieving the defined objectives,” said Willy Bogner.
A 5-year strategy which had been developed under Wirth’s lead over the past months and which clearly aims at achieving a leading and sustainable position in the market for sports fashion, was adopted with Willy Bogner and approved by the Supervisory Board at its meeting on 6 September 2016. In addition to the appointment of Alexander Wirth, the meeting was also used to communicate changes in the composition of the Supervisory Board. In addition to Dr. Jürgen Weber, former Chairman of the Executive Board of Lufthansa who has been Chairman of the Bogner Supervisory Board for many years, Sônia Bogner was appointed to the Supervisory Board as representative of the owner family, Prof. Dr. Herbert Henzler, former head of McKinsey Europe, and Prof. Dr. Alexander Liegl, partner of renowned law firm Noerr LLP, were appointed members of the Supervisory Board.
Willy Bogner GmbH & Co. KGaA with its headquarters in Munich is an internationally successful lifestyle company and a leading provider of exclusive sports fashion, luxury sportswear and designer fashion. The company, which was established in 1932, employs over 800 professionals worldwide and markets its product lines Sônia Bogner, Bogner (Woman, Man, Sport, Kids) and Bogner Fire + Ice as well as licenses in more than 50 countries.
