Personnel announcement: Stefanie Sumfleth heads ‘Corporate Responsibility, Technical Product and Sourcing’ at bonprix

bonprix bundles synergies: With an organisational realignment, the fashion company is combining the previously separate areas of Corporate Responsibility (CR) and Supply Chain and aligning the supply chain even more consistently with sustainability, product quality and digitalisation. Stefanie Sumfleth took over the management of the new ‘Corporate Responsibility, Technical Product and Sourcing’ division on 1 July 2024. Jörn Otto, Vice President of the previous Supply Chain & Sourcing division, will continue to advise bonprix on international sourcing issues until his retirement at the beginning of 2025.

Stefanie Sumfleth, who has been with bonprix since 2011, has extensive experience in the areas of supply chain management and sustainability. She started her career at bonprix as a project manager for the supply chain and has shaped the company's sustainability strategy in various management positions in recent years. In addition to her responsibility for technical product development and quality management, she was instrumental in driving forward the introduction of 3D product development and internationalising it as part of organisational development. Most recently, she held the position of Vice President Corporate Responsibility & Technical Product at bonprix.

In her new role, Stefanie Sumfleth will be responsible for the strategic direction and operational implementation of all supply chain activities for all product ranges and will continue to oversee bonprix's holistic CR strategy. The new ‘Corporate Responsibility, Technical Product and Sourcing’ department stands for comprehensive supply chain responsibility from a single source. Sustainability is already part of supplier management at bonprix and is now being increasingly expanded, for example through the further decarbonisation of the supply chain.

‘The close integration of corporate responsibility and supply chain opens up new potential for us to make our supply chain even more sustainable, transparent and efficient,’ explains Stefanie Sumfleth. ‘Together with my team, I look forward to aligning bonprix's supply chain activities for the future and driving forward sustainable procurement strategies.’

Carolin Klar, Managing Director Product, Sourcing & Corporate Responsibility at bonprix, adds: ‘With Stefanie, we have a leader on board who impresses both professionally and with her strong management skills and great expertise in transformation processes. She will take our supply chain to the next level. I wish Stefanie every success in her expanded area of tasks and responsibilities.’

The strategic realignment of bonprix aims to focus the supply chain even more strongly on sustainability, digitalisation and product quality through integrated management. Among other things, this will create a future-orientated supplier portfolio and implement regulations with foresight. By using digital tools, the company is driving forward traceability and transparency along the entire supply chain, thereby increasing efficiency and resilience. Long-term goals include the use of 100 per cent more sustainable materials and the (absolute) reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 42 per cent by 2031 (based on the Otto Group's Science-Based Target).

Jörn Otto, Vice President of the former Supply Chain & Sourcing division, will continue to advise bonprix on international sourcing issues until the end of 2024 and will retire in 2025. From mid-2000, he took over the Purchasing Controlling, Import and Quality Development departments at bonprix. From 2006 to 2008, he worked on international projects in Hong Kong and China in parallel to his role in Hamburg. From 2012, Jörn Otto established and managed centralised, international procurement at bonprix and created an efficient supply chain with a high-performance, focused international supplier framework based on flexible order and inventory management.

‘With his commitment and expertise, Jörn made a significant contribution to the development and optimisation of our international supply chain and drove forward the initial approaches for our CR projects and CR strategy,’ says Carolin Klar. ’I am very grateful to Jörn for his outstanding commitment and great contribution to the success of the company and wish him all the best for his retirement.’