After new owners, the Austrian sporting goods retailer now also has a new CEO.
The previous boss Ulrich Hanfeld announced his departure on Tuesday on the career network Linkedin: “After intensive and exciting years at the helm of Hervis, I have decided to hand over the management.”
He took on responsibility at Hervis at a time when the company was facing “big challenges” in a rapidly changing sports retail environment and then set it up for the future with a strategic realignment.
Hanfeld not only announced his departure, but also his successor. After a little more than two years at the helm, Markus Hupach will take over for him, who will open a new chapter at Hervis together with CCO Florian Fiedler, according to Hanfeld.
Former Sport 2000 CEO takes over
The new boss is no stranger to the sportswear industry. Before, according to his own information on Linkedin, he was CEO of the Dutch sports tech company Arion until November last year, which he continues to support in an advisory capacity, he was CEO of Handelsverbund Sport 2000 GmbH for almost two and a half years. Before that, he worked for the Japanese sportswear retailer Asics in Europe for almost 20 years, most recently as Vice President of Sales Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The appointment comes after the previous parent company Spar Österreichische Warenhandels-AG announced the sale of Hervis to Sven Voth, the founder of the sneaker and sportswear retailer Snipes, and Udo Schloemer.
According to Hanfeld, Voth and Schloemer would bring “fresh perspectives, extensive expertise in retail and the vision to reposition Hervis as a strong brand in the Austrian and international market”.
