A scion of the billionaire Brenninkmeijer dynasty behind clothing retail giant CA is the new chief executive officer of a private equity firm backed by the billionaire family that’s seeking to expand their empire.
Jens Brenninkmeyer is Bregal’s new CEO – Bregal Investments- Linkedin
Jens Brenninkmeyer, 38, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker and Sixth Street executive, starts next month in the top role at Bregal Investments after serving as the buyout firm’s chief strategy officer since 2023, according to a statement Tuesday.
He previously led a review of Bregal’s operations and also oversaw new deal activity across its strategies, ranging from buying stakes directly in companies to allocations for private equity funds, according to the statement from Cofra Holding, which oversees the Brenninkmeijers’ major assets.
Bregal is one of the driving forces behind the Brenninkmeijers’ push to open their business empire to more outside investors as they expand beyond CA, the clothing retailer that traces its origins back to 1841.
Founded in 2002, Bregal now has about €19 billion ($22 billion) in assets under management and recently established a new strategy to invest in secondary markets led by Luis Cabrera, who joined in October. Based in London and New York, Bregal opened to external capital in 2016, a year after the family’s real estate arm, Redevco, made a similar move.
Cofra oversees assets totaling more than €35 billion, with other divisions including an asset-management arm that opened to external capital from foundations and other long-term investors four years ago.
“From 2026 onwards, our goal is to accelerate growth and diversification by launching more strategies,” Boudewijn Beerkens, Cofra’s CEO, said in a separate statement.
Jens, a German native and sixth-generation family member, will be based in New York but spend at least a week each month in London, according to a person familiar with the matter. The firm is also seeking to participate in more co-investment opportunities, the person said, who asked not to be identified as the details are private.
Bregal’s latest appointment follows the recent departure of Goldman Sachs veteran Alain Carrier as CEO, while Ryan Selwood died in 2024 after becoming chief investment officer the previous year. The firm last year hired a veteran of direct lender Hayfin as chief financial officer, while another family scion, Lawrence Brenninkmeyer, became Bregal’s deputy chairman.
Jens Brenninkmeyer, a Harvard Business School graduate, started his career as an analyst at Goldman and later helped to lead fintech investments for San Francisco-based alternative-assets firm Sixth Street, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“I’m pleased to step into the CEO role at a key moment,” said Brenninkmeyer, who uses a variation of the dynasty’s surname.
UK shoppers continue to warm to artificial intelligence (AI) in their decision-making, according to new research. AI’s increasingly shaping how consumers plan and buy goods as they look for savvier ways to manage spending in 2026, says American Express.
American Express
Its latest Spending Spotlight research shows 29% of UK adults either plan to, or will consider using, AI assistants and tools when they shop this year, rising to 37% for consumers aged 18-34.
Indeed, those younger consumers are using bots to compare prices (31%) and track deals (25%), along with boosting their research confidence by surfacing reviews and key product details (31%) and uncovering new brands and alternatives (27%).
Also, 20% of consumers say AI’s helpful when looking for inspiration for new experiences, from activities and events to travel ideas – “highlighting its growing role in shaping how people plan and spend their downtime”.
More broadly, the Spending Spotlight also shows 46% of Britons are entering 2026 with a New Year’s spending resolution, such as shopping around for deals, tracking their spending more closely and buying from eco-friendly brands.
The research also suggests competition for consumer loyalty is set to intensify among retailers, with savvy shoppers increasingly looking to rewards and incentives when deciding where to spend. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents say they have used loyalty or rewards points to get a better deal in the past year and plan to continue doing so through 2026.
This reward-seeking focus is also influencing where people choose to shop as 61% say they have intentionally chosen to spend with businesses with loyalty programmes and plan to continue spending with them, “reinforcing the importance of rewards to driving repeat custom”, the report said.
Dan Edelman, UK general manager, Merchant Services, American Express, added: “We’re seeing AI progressing at pace into a valuable companion for shoppers to help them plan and feel confident in their spending decisions.
“What’s also clear is that as people continue to look at savvier ways to spend, being rewarded for their loyalty remains highly important to shoppers. For retailers, that means competing not just on price, but on the quality of information, experience and incentives they provide.”
Barcelona-based fashion brand Mango has arrived in Iceland. As part of its ambitious international expansion, Mango has opened its first store in the Nordic nation, located in the Smáralind shopping centre, the largest retail complex in Reykjavik.
Exterior of the Barcelona-based brand’s new store in the Icelandic capital. – Mango
The new store spans 450 square metres and is dedicated exclusively to the brand’s womenswear line. Conceived in line with Mango’s signature New Med concept, inspired by the Mediterranean, its design reflects the brand’s identity and places sustainability and architecture at its core, using traditional, artisanal, sustainable and natural materials.
This opening in the Icelandic capital forms part of the 4E 2024–2026 Strategic Plan, which seeks to strengthen the company’s distinctive value proposition, reinforce its commitment to innovation and sustainability, expand its retail network domestically and internationally, and continue to drive growth across all its lines and channels. In this context, Mango is currently pursuing various growth drivers, including the expansion of its Teen category, consolidating its presence in markets such as Italy and the US, and opening stores dedicated to its Home category.
Founded by Isak Andic in 1984, the Catalan company currently operates in more than 120 markets through a network of over 2,900 points of sale. According to the latest available data, Mango posted revenue of €1.728 billion in the first half of the 2025 financial year, up 12% on the same period a year earlier, and expects to end 2026 with sales of €4 billion and 500 additional stores.
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Adidas is to launch a footwear collaboration with British celebrity fashion/beauty influencer Molly-Mae Hague.
Image: Molly-Mae Hauge/Adidas
The collab has seen Hague work with Adidas on a limited footwear collection, with the sportswear brand confirming the partnering on an upcoming SS26 campaign and product launch. Further details have yet to be announced.
Posing by an Adidas-themed vehicle surrounded by the brand’s distinctive shoe boxes, Hague has just shared the news with her 8.5 million Instagram followers: “Three stripes. One vision. Curated by Molly-Mae. Coming soon…”, adding: “ADI X MM… what started as a dream years ago is now becoming reality. My own footwear collection with Adidas.”
Hague has her own fashion label, Maebe, launched in late 2024, positioned as ‘accessible luxury’, featured minimalist wardrobe staples including denim, tailored outerwear, shirts and vests, in a neutral colour palette.
She was also formerly a creative director for Prettylittlething brand in 2022 and retains her position as a brand ambassador for the label after first finding fame as a contestant on TV show Love Island in 2019.