Birkenstock has named Tiffany Wu as the managing director for Greater China — an appointment that is indicative of the company’s global growth ambitions.
In this new role, Wu will lead the Greater China business area, covering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, focusing on brand equity and sales in the region, and will report to Klaus Baumann, chief sales officer of the Birkenstock Group.
“As we ramp up our production capacity, we will unlock the large growth potential of China and the whole APMA region, which has generated significant latent demand that we have been unable to fulfill in recent years given more limited supply. Our targeted growth strategies will build upon our growing popularity in the region’s underdeveloped markets, including China, where our brand is nascent,” said Wu in a statement.
With Wu’s appointment, the German brand is looking to enhance its growing presence in Asia, including India and Japan. Meanwhile, in the Chinese market, it is actively developing its eCommerce operations, and a robust network of proprietary retail outlets and partnerships with select local distributors will complement this.
“Greater China is the strongest growth driver for us in the APMA region, alongside India and Japan. With the additional capacity that we can allocate since the go-live of our new plant in Pasewalk in September 2023, we now have the bandwidth to satisfy Chinese consumers’ appetite for our products. It’s the perfect moment for Tiffany Wu to join the team,” said Oliver Reichert, director of Birkenstock Holding plc and CEO of the Birkenstock Group.
The company noted that Wu brings more than 18 years of comprehensive omnichannel expertise in China’s fashion and luxury sectors. She excels in steering commercial strategies for brands, expanding their omnichannel presence, shaping brand identity, and crafting compelling narratives within China’s dynamic digital environment. Additionally, Wu has a solid foundation in marketing and public relations.
Wu began her career at the global PR agency Ogilvy. After dedicating three years to the firm, she co-founded a luxury leather goods designer brand named Heirloom in 2009. She steered the brand to a successful sale a decade later, during which it expanded its presence to 11 different countries.
Starting in 2019, Wu assumed leadership of the Fung Retailing-Asia Retail Company (ARC), where her role involved aiding foreign companies in navigating the complex Chinese market. Later, in 2021, she began working for Blue Nile, the world’s leading online diamond sales company, as the Greater China region manager, overseeing operations in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau.
