Anett Lorincz, Omnichannel Manager, Hugo Boss

In order to help current students and recent graduates to find their way in the working world, many of our alumni shared their career story. Here the story of Anett Lorincz, Omnichannel Manager at Hugo Boss in Metzingen (D). USI Degree: Master in Digital Fashion Communication, 2023.

How did you start your career?

I started my career in Budapest as an economist, working as a financial accountant for an oil and energy company. While I appreciated the analytical side of the job, I realized I wanted to work in a more creative and dynamic environment. That’s why I decided to enroll in the Master in Digital Fashion Communication (MDFC).

Already during my studies, I had my eye on HUGO BOSS and was convinced it would be the ideal place to build my career in fashion. My first role at HUGO BOSS was an internship in Global E Commerce Marketing. After completing my thesis, I joined the Global Customer Engagement team as a Campaign Manager, which marked the real starting point of my career in digital fashion retail.

Why did you choose a career at Hugo Boss?

During my MDFC studies, a colleague from HUGO BOSS gave a guest lecture that had a strong impact on me. The company culture, the way of working, and the focus on digital fashion were exactly what I had in mind for my own career. From that moment on, I was very determined to do my internship at HUGO BOSS.

After completing my internship and my studies, I knew I wanted a role that would combine my previous professional experience in economics and finance with my passion for fashion. I was looking for a position that would allow me to use both analytical and creative skills and give me a broader perspective on the company. My role in Global Customer Engagement offered precisely that: it gave me a “helicopter view” of strategic topics, while at the same time being very close to operational work in member business and campaign management.

What is your current role/duties?

I currently work as an Omnichannel Manager in the Omnichannel Management Office at HUGO BOSS. Our team is responsible for high level strategic topics within the Omnichannel department, and within this framework I am mainly in charge of the end to end strategic management of promotions across channels and markets.

My role involves defining the global promotion strategy and ensuring that it is consistent across both e commerce and retail. I coordinate a broad, global stakeholder network, including Merchandising, Legal, Global Customer Engagement, E Commerce and Retail , and manage around 200 stakeholders from more than 20 markets. In addition, I develop global sale guidelines and translate them into localized promotion concepts tailored to different countries and regions. A key part of my work is also the strategic planning and steering of promotion related communication, so that all touchpoints are aligned and the customer experiences a seamless omnichannel journey.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career at Hugo Boss?

In my experience, a successful career at HUGO BOSS starts with a strong eagerness to learn and a genuine openness to new topics, technologies and ways of working. The company operates in a dynamic environment, so being curious, adaptable and willing to continuously develop yourself is essential.

Equally important are collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively with people from different backgrounds, departments and markets. Being open minded, respectful and solution oriented helps a lot in building trust and navigating a highly cross functional, international organization.

Finally, a real passion for fashion and a strong interest in premium and lifestyle brands are key. They make it easier to connect with the products, understand our customers, and stay motivated when working on topics related to brand experience and innovation.

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

What I appreciated most about the programme was the wide variety of topics it covered and the strong link between theory and real industry practice. The possibility to collaborate with fashion brands and to interact directly with experts from the fashion and luxury field was extremely valuable, because it made the content very concrete and relevant for a future career. In particular, the projects carried out with brands such as GUESS and Bally were real highlights, as they allowed us to apply what we learned to actual brand challenges.

The strong focus on practical knowledge, especially through presentations, group work and case-based learning, helped me develop both my understanding of digital fashion communication and my communication and presentation skills. I also found the courses Conversations with industry Experts and Brand Management especially inspiring, as they offered honest insights into how brands operate, the challenges they face, and the kinds of skills and mindsets they look for in young professionals.

What competences and skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

One of the most valuable skills I gained during my studies was the ability to look at everything from the customer’s perspective. This mindset helps me a lot in my daily work, because it allows me to put operational decisions, campaigns and processes into a broader, customer centric context.

In addition, the extensive group work and presentation activities were extremely useful. They helped me develop strong collaboration, communication and presentation skills, which are essential when working in cross functional, international teams and when aligning many stakeholders around the same goal. The wide variety of topics covered in the programme also gave me a broad understanding of the fashion and digital ecosystem, which I still draw on today.

Finally, having a solid basis in fashion law has been particularly helpful in my current role. It allows me to better understand certain internal processes and to collaborate more effectively with our legal department, especially when working on promotions and customer communication.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

The job market is quite challenging at the moment, so my main advice is to actively build practical experience already during your studies. Try to broaden your knowledge beyond the classroom by doing internships, student jobs, or project collaborations with companies whenever possible. These experiences not only help you understand what kind of roles and environments suit you, but they also set you apart from other applicants with a similar academic background.

At the same time, stay curious, keep developing your digital and soft skills, and don’t be afraid to start with a role that may not be “perfect” on paper. Often it is the combination of your academic training, hands on experience and openness to learn that creates the strongest career opportunities over time.