Gerry Weber appoints Angelika Schindler-Obenhaus as CEO

German classic womenswear brand Gerry Weber has appointed Angelika Schindler-Obenhaus as its new CEO.

She takes over the from Alexander Gedat, who has been acting as CEO on a temporary basis since February 2020. Gedat will now stand for the role of chairman of the supervisory board at its next AGM.

Formerly COO at Gerry Weber, Schindler-Obenhaus has 40 years’ experience in the fashion industry. She started her career at German department store Horten and prior to joining Gerry Weber was Board Member for purchasing, marketing and IT at Katag AG in Bielefeld.

“We are incredibly pleased that we were able to win Angelika Schindler-Obenhaus for the CEO position and are certain that we are taking the right step at the right time,” said Dr Tobias Moser, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Gerry Weber International AG.

"Angelika Schindler-Obenhaus has been a key player in paving the way back to success for the business over the past few months Alexander Gedat has been successfully navigating the company as the current CEO through what some would argue to be the most challenging time – following the insolvency proceedings in self-administration.

"Together he and [CFO] Florian Frank initiated all the necessary measures to secure the company's future when the pandemic started. They have significantly strengthened management team and operations of the business. With liquidity secured we look forward to growing Gerry Weber back into the strong business it once was.”

Schindler-Obenhaus added: “I feel very blessed to work with Florian and an incredibly motivated team. I’m grateful for the trust that the Supervisory Board has placed in me – and also for the trust of our employees, who have all blown me away since I started at Gerry Weber! We are optimistic about our future and want to build on our previous success with Gerry Weber by again becoming the leader in the Modern Classic Mainstream segment.”

In July 2019, Gerry Weber's parent company secured €49.2m in funding from Robus Capital Management and Whitebox Advisors, after it entered into preliminary insolvency proceedings in January 2019. As a result all Gerry Weber physical stores across the UK were closed permanently but it remains a mainstay wholesale brand for classic womenswear retailers.