Mark Weerts, CEO of the Munich fashion agency Ben And, did not come into the industry via the traditional route. This is exactly what characterizes his leadership style: pragmatic, hands-on and consistently oriented towards the reality of the market. For three years, Weerts has been responsible for the operational and strategic development of the agency with a clear focus on structures, scalability and growth.
In an interview with FashionUnited, he explains how Ben And has specifically expanded the consulting division, why clean processes are essential for growth and why community-driven brands like Oh April represent a central future model in wholesale for him.
Growth needs structure, sales needs repeatability
When Weerts came to Ben And, the company was already in a strong growth phase, but with typical side effects. Operations and decision-making processes worked for a smaller organization, but were not designed for scale. This is exactly where Weerts started: teams were restructured, departments were built, the tech stack was expanded, HR and IT were professionalized, merchandise control was established, and sales analytics were more firmly anchored in day-to-day business. Growth should not only be enabled, but made controllable. “Sales have now doubled and the result has improved by a factor of three to four,” says Weerts.
Repeatability is crucial, especially in sales. How can you ensure that everyone is working to the same standards, prioritizing the right accounts and documenting results transparently? For Weerts, the answer lies clearly in processes and systems.
Consulting as a bridge to the B2B market
A central strategic step under Weerts is the targeted expansion of the consulting division. As a market leader, Ben And is a natural port of call for brands wanting to enter wholesale. But not every brand is ready for this – usually not because of the product, but because of a lack of structures. Logistics, ERP, timing, organization and financing are crucial factors. B2B requires operational maturity.
This is exactly where the advice comes in. Weerts describes it as two-pronged: On the one hand, the experience of managers who have led and scaled companies themselves is included. On the other hand, consulting is an independent business unit with clear strategic benefits. The focus is on positioning brands so that they can enter B2B quickly and easily, regardless of whether distribution later runs via Ben And or not.
Best Practice Oh April: Translate momentum into structure
A key example is Oh April, a multi-year project in which Weerts is also temporarily involved as interim CEO. The brand brings with it a strong asset: community power. Founder and influencer Carmen Kroll reaches around 1.2 million followers with her approachability and reach.
At the same time, the case showed where many fast-growing brands reach their limits. ERP processes, logistics, quality management, clear roles and decision-making paths were only rudimentary. The task of the consultation was therefore not to provide further ideas, but rather to translate momentum into resilient structures. Today, Oh April has an ERP system, professionalized processes, a significantly expanded B2B business and several hundred connected trading partners.
Why community is the biggest lever today
From Weerts’ point of view, the decisive competitive advantage in the fashion industry is increasingly shifting away from pure product or price thinking. Previously the best product won, later the cheapest purchase. Today, differentiation begins with end consumers – through community, trust and belonging. Brands that already have an active community generate traction more quickly in wholesale. Retailers need new frequency and new target groups. This is exactly where community-driven brands can come into play, provided they are operationally “ready” and can handle the complexity of a B2B model.
A sentence that has stayed with Weerts over the years aptly describes the industry: “In fashion you sell hope.” What is meant is the hope of reaching new customers, successfully placing collections and making investments effective. This also shapes his view of Ben And: organizing opportunities with structure, service and targeted investments in systems, people and culture, rather than managing them defensively. Internally and externally, it’s about conveying positivity and showing that “there are always opportunities,” even in an industry that is rarely easy.
