Hugo Boss new sales chief starts, is key for digital, casualisation and youth focus

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 28, 2021

Hugo Boss said Oliver Timm has joined as its Chief Sales Officer (CSO) this month, with the new executive also joining the board. His arrival comes at a time of big change at the business as a new CEO prepares to join this summer and it evolves its offer for the ‘new normal’.

In the role, Timm is responsible for “delivering a premium shopping experience for Hugo Boss customers across all consumer touchpoints − from retail and wholesale to e-commerce”.

The official announcement of his impending arrival was made last July, at which time the company highlighted his “longstanding expertise in the fashion industry and proven track record in driving digitalisation across the marketplace”.

And the company said on Thursday that his priorities will now include “the implementation of a best-in-class omnichannel environment for Hugo Boss, designed to offer a seamless, perfectly meshed brand experience to customers worldwide”.

And the digitalisation of the company’s distribution activities "will be a key factor in its success”. This includes the further expansion of its own e-commerce activities “with a particular focus on developing the online store hugoboss.com into a true digital flagship store and applying a full mobile-first approach”.

And this will come with a renewed focus on younger consumers, such as Gen Z and Millennials, as well as on casualwear across various product categories. 

The company said that casualisation will be reflected in its stores globally as it adjusts its product offerings and creates modern store concepts. 

“Emotionalising the brands and offering personalised customer experiences will be a top priority going forward,” it explained. “Data-driven decision-making will be crucial in this context, enabling a clear customer-centric approach. A first-class, personalised loyalty program, with data globally available and applicable across all touchpoints, will provide the basis for this”.

The new sales chief previously spent over 20 years at PVH and while there worked side-by-side with Daniel Grieder, who will join Hugo Boss as CEO on June 1.