Dr. Michael Otto, born in 1943, has been Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of the hamburg retail and services group OTTO (GmbH & Co KG) since 1981.

Under his leadership, the company has developed into the largest mail order group in the world and the only global player in this market. By linking the synergies of the catalogue range, over-the-counter retail and the Internet to create a modern multi-channel distribution system, OTTO is offering customers a choice of various, complementary shopping options. In e-commerce the Otto Group is number 2 worldwide behind Amazon in the business-to-consumer segment.

As head of the group, Otto considers that his principal responsibility is for overall strategy. He cultivates a cooperative style of management and his aim is to entrust as much responsibility as possible to every member of staff. Next to an exemplary ethical attitude, he considers it important that everyone should be prepared to take on other tasks in society besides his or her regular job.