Two denim industry heavyweights are getting on board of the Denham brand. 
Ludo Onnink and Fred Gehring, who have built up the Tommy Hilfiger brand in Europe since the '90s, have already acquired a majority interest in Denham in 2013.
In early 2017, the two will join the company's executive board: Ludo Onnink will be appointed new Chief Executive Officer while Fred Gehring will become new Non-Executive Chairman. Brand founder Jason Denham, who has been the CEO of the company since 2008, will be appointed new Chief Creative Officer to focus on the creative heart of the company.

Gehring and Onnink were the founding partners of Tommy Hilfiger Europe in 1996; at the time they formed the management of the Pepe Jeans Corporation when it signed the license for Tommy Hilfiger. They oversaw the company through its early years, including its sale to Tommy Hilfiger Corporation in 2001, and continued to manage it as a subsidiary of the New York-based company. In 2005, with the support of private equity group Apax Partners, they led the acquisition of publicly-traded Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and relocated its global management from New York to Amsterdam. In 2010 they sold the company to PVH Corp. Fred Gehring was Chief Executive Officer, Tommy Hilfiger from 2006 through to June 2014.

With their recently founded investment company Amlon Capital, Onnink and Gehring also own significant stakes in Karl Lagerfeld and Dutch childrenswear brand Vingino.

Jason Denham commented: "Ludo and I have had a longstanding business relationship and friendship since the mid-90s, and we share a vision for how we can continue to evolve Denham into the future – including a three-year plan to double the size of the business. I am also incredibly pleased to welcome Fred as Non-Executive Chairman; he has exceptional expertise and an incredible track record in building global brands".

The brand has ambitious expansion plans to be rolled out under the new leadership. In 2017, the brand wants to strengthen its engagement in Japan, where it has established a joint venture company with the Look Inc Group earliler this year. Future plans include the "aggressive" roll-out of new retail locations in Japan, in addition to the 22 existing stores.

Another key focus for Denham in 2017 is to concentrate on the German market. Marco Frenzer has recently been appointed as new Sales Director for Germany, leading the commercial team from the brand's German head office in Dusseldorf.

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