Governance at ABOUT YOU
ABOUT YOU supports the principles of good corporate governance for the purpose of responsible, transparent management and control of the company over the long-term.
This is a prerequisite for cultivating the trust of national and international investors and financial markets, business partners, employees, and the general public in ABOUT YOU. The company follows the recommendations and principles of the German Corporate Governance Code.Management Board
Tech & Product
Marketing & Brand
Operations & Finance
Supervisory Board
Chairperson of the Supervisory Board,
Chairperson of the Presidential and Nomination Committee,
Member of the Audit Committee
Sebastian Klauke graduated as a physicist and joined the Boston Consulting Group in 2006. He worked as a consultant and project manager and later co-founded Autoda.de, the first German online shop for used cars. In the following years he worked as a partner with BCG Digital Ventures. In 2017, he was appointed Chief Digital Officer of the Otto Group and since 2019 he is a member of the Otto Group Executive Board.
First appointed: 11 March 2021
Appointed until: 2026
CV
Introductory Video
Deputy Chairperson of the Supervisory Board,
Member of the Presidential and Nomination Committee,
Member of the Audit Committee
Niels Jacobsen holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. He has extensive leadership experience from major international companies and possesses in-depth knowledge of financial matters, accounting, risk management and M&A. He is currently CEO of William Demant Invest A/S, Denmark. Previous positions include President & CEO of Demant A/S (formerly William Demant Holding A/S), chairman of the board of LEGO A/S, deputy chairman of the board of A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and member of the board of Novo Nordisk A/S.
Mr. Jacobsen was born in 1957 and is a Danish national.
First appointed: 11 March 2021
Appointed until: 2026
CV
Introductory Video
Member of the Supervisory Board,
Member of the Audit Committee
Petra Scharner-Wolff completed her master’s degree in Business Management. In 1999, Ms. Scharner-Wolff moved to financial controlling at the Otto Group in Hamburg, where she became Vice-President of Group Controlling Affiliates in 2002 with responsibility for financial controlling of all Group companies globally. She was on the executive board of the Schwab Group in Hanau and later became Speaker of the Schwab Group executive board.
In 2012 Petra Scharner-Wolff moved back to Hamburg as a member of the OTTO Management Board where she was responsible for HR, Controlling and IT.
Since 2015 Ms.Scharner-Wolff has been a member of Otto’s Group executive board where she is responsible for Finance, Controlling and Human Resources.
First appointed: 11 March 2021
Appointed until: 2026
CV
Introductory Video
Member of the Supervisory Board,
Chairperson of the Audit Committee
Christina Johansson holds a Master of Science in Business Administration and Economics. She has more than 20 years of extensive senior management experience in corporate finance of listed companies. Ms. Johansson started her career at Securitas AG as financial controller and treasury manager before joining Amcor Ltd. where she held senior finance positions in the Amcor Group. Further important assignments were at SR-Technics as CFO and Deputy CEO and Bucher Industries as CFO. In 2018, Ms. Johansson joined Bilfinger SE as a member of the Executive Board and CFO. From early 2021 until June 2022, she also assumed the duties of the CEO on an interim basis.
Christina Johansson is also a member of the Board of Directors and Chairwoman of the Audit Committee of Emmi Group.
First appointed: 31 May 2021
Appointed until: 2026
CV
Introductory Video
Member of the Supervisory Board,
Member of the Presidential and Nomination Committee
Christian Leybold is Managing Partner at Headline (fka e.ventures) and runs its European team. Christian has two decades of technology venture capital investing experience working out of the firm’s San Francisco and European offices. His investments include many tech-driven fashion and ecommerce companies, including leading the firm’s early stage investment in Farfetch (NYSE:FTCH) in 2011. Christian holds a master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois and previously spent time working in software development and management consulting based out of Bangalore, Berlin, and Paris.
First appointed: 31 May 2021
Appointed until: 2026
CV
Introductory Video
Member of the Supervisory Board
André Schwämmlein completed his master’s degree in Industrial Engineering. Already during his time at university, Mr. Schwämmlein founded a tech startup and after his studies he worked as a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. In 2012, Mr. Schwämmlein and two co-founders founded FlixMobility, the globally leading platform for long-distance bus and train travel with the brands FlixBus and FlixTrain. He is still CEO of the company today and responsible for the strategy and the development of the global business.
First appointed: 31 May 2021
Appointed until: 2026
CV
Introductory Video
Compliance Statement
Since the founding of ABOUT YOU we have always seen our purpose in empowering people to find & express themselves through fashion, taking a stand for diversity, tolerance and self-awareness. It’s ABOUT YOU`s ambition to innovate fashion with joy and ease and to offer a truly personalized, inspirational and friendly fashion experience. ABOUT YOU`s approach is based on three main objectives:
- DISRUPTING THE FASHION INDUSTRY
With the use of modern technologies and the digitalization of the traditional shopping stroll we create a personalized and inspirational shopping experience for desktop and mobile; - TAKING RESPONSIBILITY & PROMOTE CIRCULAR FASHION CULTURE
We want to communicate conscious fashion choices and acknowledge our responsibility for our planet and society as a global fashion player by establishing new ways of creating and distributing fashion; - PLAYING IT GLOBAL
We want to become the global number one in the online fashion industry to inspire worldwide.
Regarding these objectives, compliance is part of our expression of our attitude: behaving responsibly, treating one another with respect, and operating fairly and sustainably. Compliance is based primarily on our values and our relationships with one another and to externals. We are continually working to incorporate this attitude into our daily routines.
We have developed a Compliance Management System and it has been implemented across About You in a risk-based approach to prevent and respond appropriately to violations. The generally accepted framework IDW Assurance Standard (AsS) 980 was considered. Thus, the structure of the Compliance Management Concept is based on the seven elements of the IDW AsS 980 and is subject to a continuous enhancement cycle.
Suspicions of irregular behaviour can be reported to our compliance team via our whistleblowing tool. This is also possible anonymously if desired.
Code of Conduct
Business Code of Conduct
ABOUT YOU is committed to a responsible corporate governance. We want our customers to know that all of our products have been produced ethically and under fair working conditions. For us, ethical business is based on a value chain where labour is safe, empowered and financially secure, and environmental standards are met. Our Business Code of Conduct sets out the minimum requirements we place on our Business Partners who produce and/or supply goods or services on our behalf. These include suppliers, service providers, as well as all other Business Partners we conduct business with.
Code of Ethics
Whistleblowing
ABOUT YOU is committed to responsible corporate governance. Alongside creativity, individuality, and entrepreneurship, integrity is a fundamental value of ABOUT YOU and our corporate culture. For us, responsible corporate governance also means complying with legal requirements, internal rules, and ethical standards, including general human rights. Compliance is therefore an important part of ABOUT YOU’s corporate culture. To prevent compliance violations and, if they do occur, to investigate, remedy, and sanction them, we have created a whistleblower system through which employees, business partners, and third parties can contact us.
ESG
Our responsibility report helps to understand why Planet, People & Society are at the core of what moves ABOUT YOU. It provides insights on our specific efforts, why ABOUT YOU was founded, and the vision, mission, and values that keep us going.
