Annual Report 2009/10 Excellence in Retailing - Douglas Holding

20 DOUGLAS HOLDING AG
Mission Statement
Letter to the Shareholders
Executive Board
Corporate Governance
Report of the Supervisory Board
DOUGLAS Share
Impressions
Human Resources
In the “Thalia Academy,” the Books division has
centralized its development programs in the areas
of sales and services. The modules extend from “Active
and Emotional Selling” through to its three-year
“Leadership” program, on completion of which college
graduates are equipped to take up management positions.
In conjunction with the renowned Seckbacher
Kolleg, Thalia also created an e-learning application
for employees joining the company from other industries.
The year 2010 also brought the introduction of
the new merchandise management system “Thawis”
and one of the most comprehensive training programs
in Thalia’s history. In 2010 and 2011 alone, some 2,300
employees from over 130 bookstores will be learning
how to operate the system – by completing personal
training courses followed by e-learning programs.
AppelrathCüpper also expanded its training for
young employees during 2009/10. Its two-year program
combines theory and practice. As part of their
training, budding managers are charged with supervising
apprentices in the fashion stores.
The year also saw a sales training program initiated
at Hussel. Entitled “Selling with Heart and
Mind,” it incorporated dedicated modules for managers,
store employees and service personnel. Hussel
also launched its “Store Management Training” program
which – given the positive feedback – is being
expanded during the next fiscal year.
To give the approximately 1,200 service employees
a better appreciation of their colleagues’ work in the
stores, many again engaged in “networking” during
the 2009/10 financial year – assisting with inventories
and sales in shops or supporting local promotions.
The DOUGLAS Group successfully extended its
training program for top managers. At the DOUG-
LAS HOLDING ACADEMY, a total of 125 management
personnel enhanced their skills at seminars,
workshops and information events that covered topics
ranging from strategy and leadership through to
innovation and change management. Thanks to the
Group’s partnerships with top colleges such as the
Leipzig Graduate School of Management, the ACAD-
EMY curriculum is guaranteed to offer the most relevant
and up-to-date topics and first-class speakers
from the realms of industry and education. Thirteen
Thalia managers completed a general management
Training is a top priority in the DOUGLAS Group: Dr. Henning Kreke, CEO (2nd row, 5th from left), and Anke Giesen, Chief Human Resources
Officer (2nd row, 6th from left) together with apprentices who launched their careers in August 2010.