Arne Knecht
Director Brand and Product @Bethge
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WORK HISTORY
Director Brand and Product @Bethge
Hamburg, DE
Responsible for Brand, Category and Product Strategy with full P&L accountability in the premium and accessible luxury segment.Lead commercial management of the product portfolio, combining category architecture, pricing strategy and margin optimization with brand development and cross-functional execution.Key impact:• Drove margin expansion through pricing optimization, portfolio restructuring and increased vertical integration• Shifted portfolio from third-party brands to higher-margin private label structures• Implemented SKU rationalization and long-term category planning (3–5 year horizon)• Developed and launched premium leather and print product lines with European manufacturing partners• Defined pricing architecture aligned with profitability and EBIT targets• Managed full product lifecycle from concept to go-to-market and structured phase-outCommercial & Digital Leadership:• Oversaw e-commerce and performance marketing (Meta, Google, SEO/SEA, CRM)• Led website relaunch and digital brand repositioning• Integrated generative AI into marketing and product workflows, including hybrid AI-supported visual production and SEO-driven content optimization• Managed marketing budget allocation with KPI-driven performance steering• Coordinated retail and POS communication across four own boutiques• Aligned brand strategy with commercial performance objectivesLeadership:Disciplinary and functional leadership; talent development and restructuring where required; close collaboration with shareholders and executive management.Focus: Strengthening profitability, portfolio clarity and long-term competitiveness in premium consumer markets through commercial excellence and AI-enabled optimization.
EDUCATION
Duale Hochschule Schleswig-Holstein (DHSH)
Diplom, Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen (BA)
Hult International Business School
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA)- General
ABOUT ARNE KNECHT
Premium brands don’t scale by instinct. They scale by structure.Commercial Category & Brand Leader with full P&L and EBIT accountability in premium and accessible luxury consumer goods.I operate where Category Management meets commercial discipline — aligning Pricing Strategy, Portfolio Architecture and Product Development with measurable performance. Brand without structure creates noise. Structure without brand creates commodity. My work sits in between.As Director Brand & Product, I hold end-to-end responsibility across Category Management, Product Lifecycle Management and Marketing Execution. In a growth-oriented environment, this means building the system while running it.My scope combines:• Multi-year Category Strategy (3–5 year horizon) and Portfolio Optimization• Pricing Strategy aligned with cost structure, EBIT accountability and margin development• Shift from third-party dependency toward stronger Private Label structures• SKU rationalization and vertical integration with European and Asian manufacturing partners• Full Product Lifecycle Management — from concept to structured phase-outWith a background as a Design Engineer, I remain close to the product. I shape design decisions with art direction and external designers, challenge feasibility, optimize for manufacturability and cost, and align technical realities with brand positioning. CAD thinking never fully leaves you — systems matter.Marketing is not an afterthought. I oversee go-to-market execution, campaign development and asset creation, including hybrid AI-supported visual production and SEO-driven content optimization. Generative AI is integrated pragmatically into workflows to increase scalability without diluting brand standards.I lead cross-functional teams across product, marketing, retail and digital with clear targets and direct communication. Commercial accountability and human leadership are not competing priorities — they are mutually reinforcing.I am particularly interested in discussions around structured Category Management, Commercial Excellence and premium consumer businesses that prefer long-term architecture over short-term theatrics.
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