Hugo Boss appoints ex-Ikea CMO to lead global marketing
Former Netflix and Ikea Retail marketing lead James Foster has been appointed to develop the fashion brand’s “customer-centric” approach.
James Foster has joined Hugo Boss as senior vice-president of global marketing after a two-year stint as EMEA marketing lead at Netflix.
He takes over from Nada Kokni, who held the role since January 2023 and left in December to “pursue new business opportunities”.
Prior to Netflix, Foster served as head of global marketing and CMO at Ikea Retail for a year. He spent almost 14 years at Adidas, ending his tenure there in 2022 as vice-president for Reebok Europe. Foster is also a former marketing manager at Sony Pictures and product manager at Universal Pictures.
Reacting to the appointment, Hugo Boss CEO Daniel Greider noted Foster’s “extensive experience” as a marketing leader at various global companies.
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“With his expertise, he will further develop our customer-centric approach and continue to create unique customer experiences in marketing, supporting our mission to turn customers into fans,” Greider adds.
“We are convinced that James will build on the strong foundation we have established over the past few years to further drive the success of our brands.”
In November, Hugo Boss saw its third quarter revenue rise 1% to €1.03bn (£852m), amid what the business described as a “challenging market environment”. The fashion brand’s customer loyalty programme Hugo Boss XP, launched in the UK in June, grew its member base 25% year-on-year to more than 10 million members.
Yet overall, the company has been reducing its marketing spend. During the third quarter marketing investment was down 3% to €76m (£63m), which the brand said reflects “the company’s focus on driving marketing efficiency by prioritising brand initiatives with the highest return”.
Speaking on the release of its third quarter results, the business claimed that despite the market volatility Hugo Boss has “enhanced the relevance” of its brands and deepened customer engagement, as referenced by its Boss spring/summer 2025 show at Milan Fashion Week – its most successful ever for social media reach.
