Dr. Marc Schumacher

I am Dr. Marc Schumacher – manager, entrepreneur, networker, and keynote speaker. I developed my passion, dedication, and deep understanding of lifestyle brands and retail early on. While studying at the DHBW, I simultaneously worked at HUGO BOSS AG, learning the company and its underlying mechanisms from the ground up.

In 2001, I began a seven-year tenure on the executive board at BREUNINGER. As Director of Marketing and Communications, I helped shape the family business’s transformation into Germany’s leading luxury and lifestyle retailer. In 2008, I joined the TOM TAILOR Group in Hamburg, where I embarked on a new chapter as Chief Retail Officer and member of the Executive Board.

In 2015, I joined the LIGANOVA Group as Managing Partner. As CEO of the group, I guided brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Adidas, Nike, Nespresso, and Chanel on their journey into the Experience Economy. Throughout this time, my focus remained on innovations and strategies for the transformation of commercial spaces.

From 2021 to 2024, I served as Group CEO of AVANTGARDE – the leading brand experience agency with ten offices worldwide. For our global clients, we develop and produce brand, product, and service experiences, fulfilling our corporate mission: Crafting stories, shaping spaces, creating fans. Parallel to my role as Group CEO, I was the Managing Director of Trendbüro – Germany’s leading trend and innovation consultancy.

In 2025, I founded the SILENT KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTE. This initiative aims to sensitize C-level management and companies to a new form of expertise: Cultural Intelligence.