The Suspicious Death of Mango´s Founder

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cS_ZM4NsKM

Isak Andic (1953–2024) was a Turkish-Spanish entrepreneur and the co-founder of Mango, one of Europe’s most internationally recognized fashion brands. Born in Istanbul into a Sephardic Jewish family, he moved to Barcelona in 1969. Like many immigrants, he arrived with limited financial resources but strong ambition and a clear business vision.

He began by selling handmade T-shirts imported from Turkey. During the 1970s, he gradually expanded his operations by opening multi-brand shops in Barcelona and Madrid. In 1984, he rebranded the business under a single name — Mango — aiming to create a globally identifiable fashion label. His strategy focused on efficient distribution systems, strong branding, and rapid international growth.

Unlike its main competitor, Inditex — the parent company of Zara — Mango relied heavily on franchise partnerships and fast fashion to accelerate expansion. By the 1990s, the company had entered international markets. At its peak, Mango operated thousands of stores in over 100 countries.

Fast fashion is very successful because it makes trendy clothes affordable and available very quickly. Big brands can copy new styles from fashion shows and sell them in stores within a few weeks. Clothes are produced in large quantities at low cost, which allows companies to offer low prices. Many customers enjoy buying new outfits often, and social media encourages people to follow the latest trends. As a result, fast fashion companies make high profits and grow rapidly around the world.

However, fast fashion also has serious ethical problems. Many clothes are produced in factories where workers receive very low wages and sometimes work in unsafe conditions. In addition, the industry causes environmental damage. Large amounts of water are used to produce cotton, chemicals pollute rivers, and millions of clothes are thrown away every year. Because the clothes are cheap, people often wear them only a few times before discarding them. This creates a “throw-away culture” that harms the planet.

Andic was known for his discreet yet strategic leadership style. He avoided media attention and concentrated on long-term stability. He also owned a significant stake in Banco Sabadell and participated in advisory boards, strengthening his influence within Spain’s corporate sector.

In 2024, his sudden and suspicious death shocked the business world.He died while hiking with his son. The situation was unclear, and police are still investigating  the case. Some media reports talked about possible family disagreements and business conflicts. He and his son did not have a very good relationship, especially that he had to return from retirement because his son did not do a good job taking over the company from his father and this caused a lot of conflict between the two men. While the cause of his death was that he fell from a high cliff, his son was the only other person present at that time. 

Isak Andic’s life shows how an immigrant with ambition can build a global company. But it also shows that big business can include competition, pressure, and controversy, both from outside and from within.

1.Vocabulary Match 

Match the words on the left with the correct definitions on the right. Write the correct letter next to each number.

Words	Definitions
1. entrepreneur	a. The transfer of leadership or property to the next generation
2. franchise	b. Openness and clarity in business operations
3. expansion	c. A person who starts and manages a business
4. succession	d. The ability to protect the environment long-term
5. rivalry	e. Unconfirmed ideas or theories
6. sustainability	f. Competition between companies
7. transparency	g. The process of growth or increase
8. legacy	h. Official permission to operate under a brand name
9. speculation	i. The long-lasting impact someone leaves behind

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2.Vocabulary Match – Part 2

Match the words on the left with the correct definitions on the right.

Words	Definitions
1. branding	a. Operating in many countries
2. distribution	b. Ownership share in a company
3. multinational	c. The process of delivering goods to stores
4. modest	d. Creating a strong company identity
5. stake	e. Limited or not excessive
6. advisory board	f. A group that provides strategic advice

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3.Synonym Match

Match each word with its closest synonym.

Words	Synonyms
1. entrepreneur	a. competition
2. rivalry	b. humble
3. expansion	c. founder
4. transparency	d. dispute
5. speculation	e. doubt
6. modest	f. growth
7. multinational	g. global
8. controversy	h. clarity

4. Scenario:
You are Mango executives responding to media coverage after the founder’s sudden death.

Tasks:

• Prepare a 2-minute public statement.

• Address the company’s future.

• Reassure investors and employees.

• Use formal, diplomatic language.

5. The Death Inquiry

Student A :  A journalist trying to find answers about what happened

Student B: The spokesperson who must defend the image of Mango

Student C:  You are Mango´s competitor 

Student D: You are the son

6. Speaking Practice Activities

A. Role Play 1 – The Strategic Meeting

Scenario:
You are members of Mango’s executive board in 1994. The company has 100 stores in Spain and is considering international expansion.

Discuss:

• What should be the top 3 countries that  Mango enters first?

• What are the financial risks?

• How can you compete with Inditex? 

B. Business Interview

Student A: Journalist
Student B: Isak Andic

Questions:

• Why did you start Mango?

• How is Mango different from Zara?

• What is your leadership style?

• What advice do you give young entrepreneurs?

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C.  You are hosting a group of investors and must convince them to invest in one of these top French companies. What is your selling pitch for each ?

1.  Top 10 French Companies  

   Ranked by influence, size, and market value (mix of revenue & market cap):

   1. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE – Luxury goods leader, world’s most valuable French company.

   2. Hermès International SCA – Iconic luxury fashion house, massive market capitalization.

   3. L’Oréal SA – Global cosmetics and beauty giant.

   4. TotalEnergies SE – Major integrated energy company.

   5. Schneider Electric SE – Global leader in energy management and automation.

   6. Airbus SE – Aerospace and defense giant (commercial aircraft).

   7. Sanofi – Major multinational pharmaceutical company.

   8. BNP Paribas SA – One of France’s largest banks.

   9. AXA SA – Major insurance and financial services group.

   10. Carrefour SA – Largest retail supermarket chain in France and a major European retailer.

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D. Critical Thinking Discussion

1. Can wealth and legacy influence how society remembers a person?

2. How should media handle investigations involving powerful families?

3. Is rivalry essential for innovation in business?

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7. Role-Play Activities –  

Role-Play A – “Family Business Debate: Son vs. Father”

• Characters: Father – returning founder; Son – struggling to manage Mango

• Starter:
  Father: I had to return because the company was failing.
  Son: I feel I wasn’t trusted to run it myself!
  → Students explore succession, leadership, and family business dynamics.

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Role-Play B – “Fast Fashion Ethics and Worker Rights Panel”

• Characters:

• CEO (Mango) – focused on profits and global growth

• Sustainability Officer – focused on environmental responsibility

• Factory Manager – under pressure to reduce production costs

• Union Representative – focused on fair wages, safe conditions, and worker rights

Role-Play C: “Competitors Unite Against Shein”

• Scenario:
  One owner reaches out to the other to propose a collaboration. Shein is taking many customers by selling cheaper versions of their clothes. They must decide how to work together to fight this common competitor.

• Roles:

1. Isak Andic (Mango Owner) – protect brand, regain customers

2. Amancio Ortega (Zara Owner / Inditex) – protect market share, stay profitable

• Objectives:

• A: Reach out to your competitor. 

• B:Agree on a basic plan to collaborate,

• C: Decide how to divide markets, products, or strategies, 

• D: Discuss quick tactics to compete with Shein

• Starter Dialogue:
  Andic:  
  Ortega:  

Role-Play D – “Inside the Fashion Industry”

Roles:

A. Factory Worker
B. Company Manager
C. Environmental Activist
D. Teen Consumer

Task:
Each person explains how fast fashion affects them.

Afterwards, discuss:

• Who benefits the most?

• Who suffers the most?

• Can the system change?

8. Fill in the blanks:

Word Bank

shopaholic — profitable —mismanaged  —made the rounds —late — overnight — bargain — self-made — dinosaur / has been — once in a blue moon — up and coming / emerging — rip-off / overpriced  — every other day — spoiled — spoiled — heir — fishy — comeback — sweatshops— heiress

1. When Isak died, his children would have               his wealth. 

2. His son would be the                       . 

3. His daughter would be the                    . 

4. If he became very successful in a short amount of time, then he was an                 success. 

5. If he became wealthy and successful not because his parents gave him the money, but through his own hard work, then he was                     .

6. If he was able to make a lot of money through his business, then his business was very                      . 

7. If the circumstances of his death were very suspicious, then we can also say that it was very              . 

8. If his children are very arrogant and they are always accustomed to getting whatever they want, then      they are very                   . 

9. If the products in Mango are high quality and the price is low, then the products are a                .

10. If you pay a lot of money and the quality is not good, then it is                   .

11. When companies decide to open factories in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries where workers are overworked and underpaid, those places are called                    .

12.  Some critics are saying that the brand  Maija will be the new competitor to Zara and Mango. It is growing quickly and has a very great potential. 

It is considered an                                   company.

13. Fiorucci is an Italian clothing brand that was huge in the 70´s that now is no longer as popular. It is considered to be a                    .

14. However, some critics are predicting that they are in the process of becoming popular and dominant again, at least in the Italian market. This means that they are making a                   .

15. If you have a friend who is addicted to shopping, she is a                   .

16.She is so addicted that she shops one day yes and one day no. This means that she goes shopping 

                              .

17. However, if you very rarely go shopping , only on very special occasions, then you go shopping 

                                                               .

18. The son was the boss, he did a very bad job. Under his leadership, the company was                          .

19.The news of the death of Andic received a lot of coverage in the media. It                               .

20. What word do you put in front of the person´ s name to let the audience know that his person has died recently . For example, the                       successful Spanish busiessman Isak Andic was born in Turkey.