How Maximilian Böck is quietly building Marc O'Polo into a global brand

At a time when many fashion brands are grappling with a volatile global economy and intense competition, Maximilian Böck, chief executive officer of the German fashion brand Marc O'Polo, remains committed to his goal of transforming the company into a truly global presence.

Böck's family led the brand, founded in Stockholm in 1967, to its current prominence. Since taking over, he has systematically initiated a transformation process. Under his leadership, the brand is aiming for an annual turnover of one billion euros. As CEO, he is driving Marc O'Polo's international expansion, modernising its brand identity and embedding sustainability into its corporate structure.

A family legacy

Maximilian Böck's connection to Marc O'Polo is deeply rooted in his family history. This story is closely intertwined with the brand's expansion into the German market. His father, Werner Böck, met the Swedish founders of Marc O'Polo at a menswear trade fair in Cologne in 1968.

Werner Böck, himself the son of a fashion retail family from Rosenheim, founded Marc O'Polo Deutschland Vertriebs GmbH in his mid-twenties and became the majority shareholder many years later. His son Maximilian grew up in this entrepreneurial environment. As a child, he watched his father fly to Stockholm once a week to contribute to product development and become increasingly involved with the brand. In 1997, Böck senior finally relocated the company headquarters from Stockholm to Stephanskirchen, Germany.

His father always left it open to him whether he would work for the company, Böck explained in an article about generational change in Manager Magazin. Böck earned a master's degree in business administration. At that time, it was not a given that he would work in the family business or in fashion. He was also interested in career paths as a controller or management consultant. At the beginning of his career, he therefore gained international experience through various stays abroad, including at the auditing firm KPMG in New York.

This period gave him a broader insight into global business practices before he delved deeper into the operational aspects of fashion retail. He deepened his understanding of the retail sector through various buying positions at the Düsseldorf-based department store chain Peek & Cloppenburg KG. These experiences provided him with a blend of financial acumen, an international perspective and practical retail experience that would later prove valuable.

Rise to the executive suite: from co-pilot to CEO

“I was already on the supervisory board of Marc O'Polo during my time at Peek & Cloppenburg,” Böck recalled in an interview with Manager Magazin. “Therefore, I was familiar with the most important issues, the board members before me and the history of the company.”

He began working operationally at Marc O'Polo in 2017. His first role within the company was as a buyer for the brand's own stores. He later took responsibility for the family business's entire retail operation, store network and e-commerce.

In June 2020, he became chief retail officer and co-managing director, working alongside the then-CEO Dieter Holzer. This preparatory phase allowed Böck to fully immerse himself in the brand's strategic direction and daily operations.

One year later, at the age of 32, Böck took on the role of chief executive officer of Marc O'Polo, assuming responsibility for more than 2,000 employees. His previous focus as chief retail officer on all business-to-consumer channels, including e-commerce, positioned him to drive the brand's digital development and omnichannel strategy. His appointment marked a generational shift, with his father, Werner Böck, remaining the majority shareholder and chairman of the supervisory board, according to the company's website.

“My father has not been operationally active at Marc O'Polo for more than ten years,” Böck noted in the Manager Magazin article. “The fact that I did not take over directly from him made it easier for me, I believe.”

On the way to becoming a global premium brand

Maximilian Böck's vision for Marc O'Polo is clearly global. He aims to transform the Germany-based brand into a leading modern and sustainable lifestyle brand in the global premium segment.

Under Böck, digitalisation is an integral part of the business model. While Marc O'Polo invests significantly in its own online presence, the company is not pursuing a digital-first strategy and also places great value on brick and mortar channels, he explained in a podcast interview with OMR, a Hamburg-based digital marketing platform. “Online only is not the path we want to take. Our customers can decide for themselves where they want to shop.” This omnichannel approach caters to the diverse preferences of consumers, ensuring a seamless shopping experience in both physical stores and on digital platforms.

Sustainability forms another central pillar of Böck's strategy. According to its own definition, the company offers almost 100 percent sustainable products, as stated in Marc O'Polo's sustainability report. The company has also achieved 'Leader' status with the Fair Wear Foundation, an initiative specialising in workers' rights in the supply chain, which further underscores its commitment.

In February, Marc O'Polo became one of the few fashion companies of its size worldwide to receive B Corporation certification, hoping to set a precedent in the industry.

“The renowned B Corp certification makes it visible and measurable that responsibility and economic success must be considered together,” said Maximilian Böck in a statement. “We see this certification as a clear signal and as an invitation to our industry to think about corporate responsibility holistically.”

Growth trajectory

Under the leadership of Maximilian Böck, Marc O'Polo has recorded considerable growth and reached significant milestones despite difficult market conditions. In the 2021/2022 financial year, the group achieved a turnover of 539 million euros. This represented an increase of 39 percent year-over-year and meant the company surpassed the half-a-billion euro turnover mark for the first time.

This strong performance continued, with the company achieving a net turnover of 630 million euros in the last financial year. It has grown by 60 percent over the past five years despite the challenging market environment, Böck said on the OMR podcast in August.

“The market has not helped us, but we have always had a good base. We are a great brand, super solid financially,” the CEO said proudly. “We have been working on many different aspects simultaneously, not just two or three, but hundreds.” Under his leadership, product development has become more data-driven, customer-centric and sustainable. In marketing, the approach to customers has been changed, and the Facebook page and webshop have been redesigned.

Future vision

Germany is traditionally Marc O'Polo's largest market, followed by Austria, Switzerland and Poland. Knitwear and puffer coats rank among the brand's best-loved pieces, while menswear has grown into a significant pillar, now making up around 40 percent of turnover. The Marc O'Polo Denim line — aimed at a younger crowd — along with footwear and accessories, have all gained traction, pointing to the wider appeal of the Marc O'Polo lifestyle.

A key driver of growth has been the brand's international expansion. Although the company is already present in 60 countries with 2,200 points-of-sale worldwide, Böck acknowledges that there are still more territories to conquer if the group is to move closer to its self-imposed target of one billion euros in turnover.

Markets such as Thailand and the United Arab Emirates are currently being targeted, where Marc O'Polo is exploring potential partnerships with local groups, Böck said on the OMR podcast. He prefers to wait and see regarding the US, given the customs uncertainty.

In October, the Böck family took over the struggling denim label Closed. Former Marc O'Polo managing director Dieter Holzer is now tasked with steering the Hamburg-based company back to calmer waters. It remains to be seen to what extent this acquisition will play a role in Marc O'Polo's operations.

A pragmatic CEO

Böck embodies a leadership style that is both down-to-earth and approachable. In Stephanskirchen, he is reportedly often called 'Maxi'. His background and statements suggest a team-oriented and down-to-earth perspective. He aims to be open and authentic and does not believe that CEOs need to be 'tough'.

“In the end, it is not just the CEO who decides, but the team,” Böck said on the OMR podcast about his entrepreneurial success.

Böck also sees his role as bringing the right people together. “The corporate culture is extremely important to us; we have invested in it for decades, even before my time. It is something special to work here,” said Böck. This enables the company to attract motivated top talent to Upper Bavaria.

He calls joining the family business a life decision, knowing that he would have to make sacrifices. For example, after becoming a father three years ago, he was unable to take parental leave like many of his friends, he told Manager Magazin.

“I do not question it. I have chosen the task and the responsibility – a great motivation for me. I consider the job a privilege.”

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

OR CONTINUE WITH

CEO Profile

Marc O'Polo

Maximilian Böck