Prof. Dr. Michael Otto

Co-Founder and Honorary Councillor, World Future Council, Chairman of the Advisory Board, Otto Group. Founder and Chair of the Supervisory Board, Environmental Foundation Michael Otto Foundation

From 1981 to October 2007, Prof. Dr. Michael Otto (born 1943) headed the Otto Group as Chairman of the Executive Board. Under his leadership, the company developed into an internationally operating mail order group. Prof. Dr Otto recognized the potential of online trading as early as the mid-1990s and turned the Otto Group into one of the world’s most successful e-commerce companies. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board, he continues to significantly shape and promote the digital transformation of the company today. Today, the Otto Group is present in more than 30 countries in Europe, North and South America and Asia with 123 major companies and is one of the world’s largest online retailers.

In addition to an exemplary ethnic attitude, Michael Otto believes that it is important for everyone to be willing to take on tasks in our society beyond their professional activities. This attitude manifests itself in the assumption of a number of honorary offices.

Prof. Dr. Otto is, among other things, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gesellschaft für Politik und Wirtschaft e. V., Hamburg (Haus Rissen); Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Michael Otto Environmental Foundation; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Werner Otto Foundation for Medical Research; Chairman of the Executive Committee of the KlimaWirtschaft Foundation (formerly the 2° Foundation – German Entrepreneurs for Climate Protection); Member of the Board of Trustees of the Helmut and Loki Schmidt Foundation; Honorary Senator of the German National Foundation; Member of the International Club of Rome and Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the WWF Germany Environmental Foundation.

He is Co-Founder and Honorary Councillor of the World Future Council.