Bernd Freier

Bernd Freier opened his first clothing store in Wuerzburg, Germany in 1969. He named it Sir Oliver after the hero of Dickens' novel Oliver Twist.

The company, whose name was later shortened to s.Oliver, initially focused on standard mix-and-match casual fare.

It has diversified into underwear, beachwear and nightwear, as well as licensing and sub-labels for evening clothes and trend-focused collections.

With annual sales of around $1.5 billion, s.Oliver now has more than 700 stores and partner stores in over 20 countries.

Freier stepped down as CEO in 2014 but took over again in 2018. He stepped down once more in 2019.