Petra Scharner-Wolff
Chief executive of the Otto Group
Petra Scharner-Wolff is the chief executive of the Otto Group, the Hamburg based retail and services group behind OTTO, bonprix and other businesses. She took over on 1 March 2025 after a career of more than 25 years within the group, most recently as board member for finance, controlling and human resources.
| Role | Chief executive of the Otto Group (since 1 March 2025) |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Alexander Birken |
| Previous role | Board member for finance, controlling and human resources |
| Executive board | Member since June 2015 |
| Joined the group | 1999 |
Who is Petra Scharner-Wolff?
Petra Scharner-Wolff is a German retail executive and, since 1 March 2025, chief executive of the Otto Group, one of Europe's largest online retailers. She succeeded Alexander Birken, who had led the group for eight years and moved to the chairmanship of the supervisory board. She is one of the few women to lead a major European fashion and retail group.
Career
Scharner-Wolff is a business graduate who began her career as a management consultant with the Nymphenburg Group in Munich from 1995 to 1999. She joined the Otto Group's controlling team in Hamburg in 1999. In 2002 she became director of group controlling for participations. In 2007 she moved to Schwab, a group company, as director responsible for planning, controlling, finance, accounting, IT, merchandise management and human resources. In 2012 she became divisional director at OTTO, overseeing human resources, management and IT.
In June 2015 she joined the executive board of the Otto Group, where she was most recently responsible for finance, controlling and human resources. On her appointment as chief executive, Michael Otto said she had played a crucial role in steering the group through extremely challenging and changing times. Katy Roewer succeeded her as chief financial officer.
Influence on the fashion business
The Otto Group's businesses include major fashion retailers and platforms, and its performance is closely watched as an indicator of the European online market. As chief executive Scharner-Wolff is responsible for:
- Leading a group with retail, financial services and logistics businesses
- Continuing the group's focus on profitability after a difficult period for e-commerce
- Shaping the portfolio of fashion businesses such as OTTO and bonprix
Petra Scharner-Wolff and technology
IT has been part of her responsibilities for much of her career. At Schwab from 2007 and at OTTO from 2012 she was in charge of IT alongside finance and human resources, giving her direct experience of the systems on which large scale online retail depends.
Why it matters
The Otto Group is a pioneer of the shift from catalogue to online retail in Europe. Scharner-Wolff's appointment brings a finance and operations perspective to the top of the group at a time when online fashion retailers are under pressure to improve margins, and makes her one of the most influential women in European retail.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Petra Scharner-Wolff?
Petra Scharner-Wolff is the chief executive of the Otto Group, a role she took up on 1 March 2025. She has worked for the group since 1999 and was previously its board member for finance, controlling and human resources.
Who did Petra Scharner-Wolff succeed at the Otto Group?
She succeeded Alexander Birken, who had been chief executive for eight years and became chairman of the supervisory board in 2025.