Case study about Hugo Boss. Company History, industry background, current position

Case Study from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 1,0, École des hautes études commerciales de Paris, course: Luxury Management, language: English, abstract: This paper paper presents a case study about Hugo Boss: back on the profitable growth track and though still the right time to exit? Claus-Dietrich Lahrs stood behind his desk looking at the dark forest surrounding the firm¿s headquarter in Southern Germany in the evening of a cold 2012 autumn day. His look was severe and his perplexity was not difficult to guess. Lahrs, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Hugo Boss, Germany¿s largest fashion group, was expected to give to the Supervisory Board the management¿s position on the potential sale of the company on the following morning at 8 öclock.

Permira, the Private Equity fund and majority owner of Hugo Boss, was not different from most competitors in both developing the portfolio company and at the same time maximising shareholder value. Lahrs needed not only to precisely give the management team¿s position, but also to share with the Board the other stakeholders¿ views on this strategic issue. If those positions were different from Permiräs exit decision, what would be the consequence for Lahrs personally, his team and the company?