Michael Otto
Honorary chairman of the Otto Group supervisory board
Michael Otto is a German entrepreneur who led the Hamburg based Otto Group as chairman of the executive board from 1981 to 2007. Under his leadership the company grew from a catalogue mail order business into one of Europe's largest digital retail groups, and he made environmental protection a corporate objective as early as 1986.
| Role | Honorary chairman of the Otto Group supervisory board (since March 2025) |
|---|---|
| Chairman of the executive board | February 1981 to October 2007 |
| Joined executive board | 1971 |
| Group companies | OTTO, bonprix, About You, Manufactum and others |
| Sustainability | Environmental protection a corporate objective since 1986 |
Who is Michael Otto?
Michael Otto, born in 1943, is the son of the founder of the Otto Group and the person most associated with its transformation. He joined the executive board in 1971 and led the group for more than a quarter of a century. Since March 2025 he has been honorary chairman of the supervisory board.
Career
Otto joined the executive board of the family company in 1971, where he was responsible for textile purchasing. In February 1981 he became chairman of the executive board. He stepped down from that role in October 2007 and continued to shape the group from its supervisory board. In March 2025, when Alexander Birken moved from chief executive to chairman of the supervisory board and Petra Scharner-Wolff became chief executive, Otto became honorary chairman.
Influence on the fashion business
During Otto's leadership and afterwards the group built and acquired a broad portfolio of retail businesses, many of them important in fashion e-commerce:
- The fashion retailer bonprix
- The online fashion platform About You, founded within the group
- Acquisitions including Limango, Manufactum and SportScheck
The group reported revenue of 15.6 billion euros in 2021 and has positioned itself as a European alternative to Amazon. Otto also made sustainability part of the company's strategy unusually early, adopting environmental protection as a core corporate objective in 1986.
Michael Otto and technology
Otto oversaw one of the most significant digital transformations in European retail. Under his leadership the Otto Group moved from a catalogue mail order model to a digital retail group, adapting its logistics, customer data and marketing to online sales and creating new digital businesses such as About You.
Why it matters
The Otto Group is one of the few traditional catalogue retailers that successfully reinvented itself for the internet age. Michael Otto's long leadership, his early focus on sustainability and the group's continued role in fashion e-commerce make him a key figure for understanding how European retail adapted to digital commerce. His transition to honorary chairman in 2025, alongside the appointment of Petra Scharner-Wolff as chief executive, marked a generational change at the top of one of Germany's most important family owned retailers. The group remains a reference point for anyone studying how established retailers can build new digital businesses rather than simply defend old ones.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Michael Otto?
Michael Otto is a German entrepreneur who led the Otto Group as chairman of the executive board from 1981 to 2007. Since March 2025 he has been honorary chairman of its supervisory board.
What is Michael Otto known for?
He is known for transforming the Otto Group from a catalogue mail order company into a digital retail group, and for making environmental protection a corporate objective as early as 1986.