Allan Vad Nielsen has been appointed as chief executive at Hummel, the Danish sports brand, after the abrupt dismissal of Søren Schriver earlier this year. Nielsen has spent most of his career at Bestseller, the Danish fashion group that owns Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, among others. He has agreed to start at Hummel in August, based at the group's head office in Aarhus. Hummel said that Nielsen established Bestseller's business in the U.K. and Ireland in 2002 and helped transform it into an international group with a multi-billion turnover (presumably in Danish kroner). Nielsen's latest formal function is that of regional director and member of Bestseller's global executive board, from March. Until then he was regional director for Bestseller in North America, the U.K. and Ireland. Christian Stadil, Hummel's chairman, said the company wanted to reinforce the Hummel brand in the international sports and fashion market, with a target to reach a turnover of 2 billion Danish kroner (€268.8m-$298.6m). The group's three focus areas are the development of retail stores, owned by the company or established with partners; the growth of online sales and the increased use of social media platforms; and a focus on sports fashion apparel and footwear for the Danish and international markets. In a somewhat unusual statement, Stadil also describes Nielsen as an “incredibly sweet guy” who is great company to share a beer and watch a football game.

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