ECommerce Merchandising Manager at the Porto office, Rui Ascensão, shares his background in the world of fashion and views on the open, progressive, and collaborative spirit at Metyis and the HUGO BOSS Digital Campus (HBDC).

 

Meet Rui Ascensão, eCommerce Merchandising Manager at HBDC

From football to the world of fashion

I hail from Portugal, a nation known for its rich football heritage and home to world-class players like Cristiano Ronaldo. Like many Portuguese children, I too aspired to become a football player. During my early years, I even joined a local club for young players. However, as time went by, I gradually realised that I enjoyed watching football and supporting my city club than being on the field.  

Several years later, my interests shifted towards playing music, particularly the guitar. By that time, I wanted to be a musician and teamed up with some friends to form a rock band, which was called ‘Success’. We had a lot of fun playing together and creating music for ourselves.  

At the age of 20, I received some invitations to be a fashion model. I found myself doing runways in the main events in Portugal like the Lisboa Fashion Week and Portugal Fashion, representing renowned Portuguese designers and participating in fashion campaigns for some brands. I think it was how my passion and career in the business of fashion began.

How my passion for fashion led me to Metyis  

I studied Industrial Engineering and Management at Porto University, where my interest in the business world, particularly in the textile and fashion industry, took root. From the outset, I found myself captivated by the creative aspects and the entire process involved in building a brand, the production processes within textile companies, effective product lifecycle management, and the dynamic interactions between different areas within the industry.  

Upon completing my bachelor's degree, I finished my internship in Lean Management, where part of my role was to enhance productivity within a textile company that was operating in the automotive industry. This initial exposure proved to be an incredible starting point for my career in the textile sector.  

Subsequently, I joined the fashion division of one of the biggest companies in Portugal where I worked for seven years, in two fashion brands for adults and kids’ wear respectively, and gained in-depth expertise in the areas of sourcing, buying, and merchandising. This experience provided me with invaluable insights into the business market.  

My natural progression in this field, both fascinating and stimulating, led me to an international opportunity that I took. In this role, I was the buying and merchandising manager of the menswear department at one of the biggest textile companies in the world. This moment marked a turning point in my career.  

Following two years of really enriching experiences in Barcelona, another exciting invitation arose, taking me back to my hometown, Porto. The chance to join the groundbreaking project at Metyis marked this new chapter on my professional journey. And here I am!

Deploying merchandising strategies to create better shopping experiences 

I’m currently an eCommerce Merchandising Manager at HUGO BOSS Digital Campus (HBDC). My role is to optimise the online shopping experience for HUGO BOSS’ customers and increase sales through effective product merchandising strategies – the curation of digital product assortment, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and using data to make informed decisions about product assortment, placement, and pricing. The overall goal is always to create an engaging online shopping environment, improve customer satisfaction, and maximise revenue. That said, one of the things that motivates me to consistently achieve my goals is the trust HBDC places in my abilities.

Delivering value-added work through autonomy and responsibility  

I feel at Metyis we have a great working culture that stimulates our self-development through collaboration. I’m happy to say that the combination of people, communities and the environment I am part of always inspires me to deliver value-added work consistently.

My role at HBDC helps me engage in social activities, streamline internal processes, and venture into new professional domains. This to me is a reflection of the trust, autonomy, and responsibility placed on me, which goes on to prove that I’m valued.

I’m very excited about the future at HBDC because its creative environment and commitment to progress allow me to push boundaries and come up with innovative solutions. I believe this is a great way to stay inspired to advance in my career.

Lastly, my role at HBDC challenges me every day. It pushes me to think out of the box of what is expected of me. I’m aware that the resistance I experience when I go against the grain is directly proportional to my growth as a professional and as an individual.