Bruno Sälzer, new head of Bench

By

Bruno Joly

Published
Jun 30, 2014

Earlier this year, the rumors circulated at Benetton. Meanwhile, Escada confirmed that its CEO, Bruno Sälzer, would leave his post at the end of 2014. Today, it was announced that the iconic former head of Hugo Boss will become CEO of Bench no later than December 1. He will thus make the transition from the world of women’s fashion to that of high-end streetwear.

In addition to his role as CEO, he is will also purchase a 15% stake in Americana International, the urban Manchester brand’s parent company owner. It’s a significant change for the company, which sees a turnover of 100 million pounds, or approximately 124 million euros.

It’s a transaction that will be made all the easier for Bruno Sälzer given that the Munich investment company Emeram Capital Partners bought the brand from the British company HG Capital in February.

Founded in 1987, the English streetwear brand Bench is largely inspired by snowboarding. It is present in 26 countries, but German-speaking countries are among its most important markets.

Before acquiring Bench, Emeram purchased the group of brands Boards & More (Fanatic, North Kiteboarding, North Sails Windsurf and ION) in November 2013 for 40 million euros from Airesis, the majority shareholder if le Coq Sportif.

But the appointment of Bruno Sälzer, who worked at Hugo Boss for 14 years, serving as CEO for the last six, before joining Escada, could, given the manager’s profile, be part of a broader agenda.

Emeram, meanwhile, has clarified that Bruno Sälzer will only be purchasing a stake in Bench’s parent company.