Boden "pulls off coup" as Glen Senk becomes exec chairman

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 7, 2021

UK fashion and lifestyle brand Boden is targeting a doubling in the size of its business, with a focus on growth in the US and other international markets. And to that end, it has named Glen T Senk as executive chairman. 

He takes up the role this month, “bringing considerable international and digital experience to the group”.

Senk is known for “having built Anthropologie from a single-store prototype to a billion-dollar global brand”. He subsequently became chief executive of URBN, the Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People owner.

He’s replacing Julian Granville who becomes Boden’s new deputy chairman.

Senk isn’t new to the business, having been a non-executive director for four years, and he’s known founder and creative director, Johnnie Boden, plus Julian Granville for more than 20 years.

Boden reached sales of £388 million in 2019 and in its current 30th anniversary year, it said it saw revenue growth of 10% in the first six months. 

The company is planning “significant investment to further its growth plans” in markets like the US, where it launched in 2002. International sales now account for 65% of its total and the US is the largest market.

Johnnie Boden described Senk as “one of the best fashion retailers in the world. He combines an amazing creative understanding with a razor-sharp analytical mind.”

And Granville added that he’s “a rare talent and his experience of premium brands in multi-channel, global markets will be key to the next phase in the Boden’s story. I genuinely feel we have pulled off a coup in persuading him to lead the business and I can’t think of anyone in the world I would rather hand over to. I am very excited to be working alongside him in my new role”.