Bonprix: CEO Torben Hansen to depart – Nicolai Johannsen to take over as chief marketing officer

A change at the top of German e-commerce company Bonprix, which is part of the Otto Group.

Chief executive officer Torben Hansen will leave the company on October 31. Differing views on the company's strategic direction led to a mutual separation, the subsidiary of the Hamburg-based retail group Otto Group announced on Wednesday.

Hansen had held the position of CEO since spring 2024, after succeeding Richard Gottwald. He was also responsible for the brand and content, digital marketing, European sales management, and people and organisation departments.

The CEO position left by Hansen will not be filled immediately. From January 2026, Nicolai Johannsen will take over responsibility for sales as the new chief marketing officer. Until then, the remaining board members Carolin Klar, Matthias Wlaka and Kai Heck will share Hansen's responsibilities. The Bonprix Group will then be managed equally by all four managing directors.

New chief marketing officer no stranger to Otto Group

The new chief marketing officer of Bonprix has been part of the Otto Group since 2011. He initially led numerous group-wide projects as an executive at Otto Group Consulting before taking on the role of vice president of sales in 2016. In this role, he was responsible for reorganising Otto's sales divisions. He modernised traditional concepts such as the main catalogue and successfully expanded digital channels and online advertising, according to the statement. He was also instrumental in developing the “Otto Up” customer loyalty programme and contributed to the professionalisation of customer management.

Since 2022, as vice president of consumer interactions, Johannsen has been responsible for all marketing channels, customer relationship management (CRM), and personalisation, as well as the Otto app. He also optimised budget allocation by expanding statistical analysis and forecasting capabilities.

“I am very pleased that Dr. Nicolai Johannsen is joining the management of the Bonprix Group,” said Marcus Ackermann, Otto Group executive board member for multichannel distance selling. “With his expertise in retail and his experience in digital business models, he brings exactly the right skills to lead the company successfully into the future in challenging times.”