Georges Kern
Encyclopedia
Life and background=
Georges Kern studied Political Science in Strasbourg, France, and obtained a degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen
, Switzerland. He acquired ex- perience in the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sector as a brand manager with Kraft Foods Switzerland
before gaining a foothold in the watch industry at TAG Heuer
(LVMH group).
He joined the Richemont Group
, the Swiss luxury goods corporation, in 2000. Following the Group’s acquisition of A. Lange & Söhne
, Jaeger-LeCoultre
and International Watch Company
, he was active in the integration of these three brands. When Georges Kern joined IWC Schaffhausen early in 2002, at the age of 36, he became the youngest CEO within Richemont. Since 2009, Georges Kern has also been responsible for the Baume & Mercier brand and, in October 2010, took over as CEO of Roger Dubuis
.
Alongside his corporate objectives, he is also committed to charitable causes, for example through his position on the Board of Trustees of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
, which helps young people to overcome their social problems through sport.
Georges Kern is a patron of the Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupéry pour la Jeunesse, which supports disadvantaged young people on their path to adulthood.
Georges Kern counts active climate protection among his corporate responsibilities. Upon his initiative, IWC was certified as a carbon neutral company; he is also a trustee of the London-based organization The Climate Group. The goal of this independent, non-profit organization is to help government and business leaders worldwide to achieve a rapid reduction of CO2 emissions.
As a representative of the watch industry and the CEO of a brand founded by an American, Georges Kern sits on the board of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.
Georges Kern studied Political Science in Strasbourg, France, and obtained a degree in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen
University of St. Gallen
The University of St. Gallen is a public research university located in St. Gallen, Switzerland. It is specialized in the fields of business administration, economics, law, and international affairs. The University of St. Gallen is also known as HSG, which is an abbreviation of its former German...
, Switzerland. He acquired ex- perience in the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sector as a brand manager with Kraft Foods Switzerland
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
before gaining a foothold in the watch industry at TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer is a Swiss luxury watchmaker known for its sports watches and chronographs. It is a division of luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton. The company motto is "Swiss Avant-Garde Since 1860"...
(LVMH group).
He joined the Richemont Group
Richemont
Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A. is a Swiss luxury goods holding company founded in 1988 by the South African businessman Johann Rupert. Richemont categorizes its businesses into four areas: jewellery, watch making, writing instruments and other, which encompasses clothing and firearms. The...
, the Swiss luxury goods corporation, in 2000. Following the Group’s acquisition of A. Lange & Söhne
A. Lange & Söhne
A. Lange & Söhne is a trademark of German watchmaking company Lange Uhren GmbH , a subsidiary of Richemont SA. Lange pocket and wrist watches are among the finest in the world, competing with watches produced by Swiss firms such as Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.- History :Lange was...
, Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a high-end luxury watch and clock manufacturer based in Le Sentier, Vaud, Switzerland. In addition, Jaeger-LeCoultre also has a long tradition of supplying movements and parts to other prestigious watch companies in Switzerland. Since 1996, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been a fully...
and International Watch Company
International Watch Company
International Watch Co, also known as IWC, is a high-end Swiss watch manufacturer located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. IWC is an active member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH....
, he was active in the integration of these three brands. When Georges Kern joined IWC Schaffhausen early in 2002, at the age of 36, he became the youngest CEO within Richemont. Since 2009, Georges Kern has also been responsible for the Baume & Mercier brand and, in October 2010, took over as CEO of Roger Dubuis
Roger Dubuis
Roger Dubuis is the brand name of luxury watches and jewellery founded by Carlos Dias and Roger Dubuis.Dubuis, a talented watchmaker, founded his own atelier in 1980 after 14 years of developing complications for Patek Philippe. He took commissions to design new complications for major brands for...
.
Alongside his corporate objectives, he is also committed to charitable causes, for example through his position on the Board of Trustees of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation was founded in 2000 by Daimler and Richemont and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz, IWC Schaffhausen and Vodafone...
, which helps young people to overcome their social problems through sport.
Georges Kern is a patron of the Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupéry pour la Jeunesse, which supports disadvantaged young people on their path to adulthood.
Georges Kern counts active climate protection among his corporate responsibilities. Upon his initiative, IWC was certified as a carbon neutral company; he is also a trustee of the London-based organization The Climate Group. The goal of this independent, non-profit organization is to help government and business leaders worldwide to achieve a rapid reduction of CO2 emissions.
As a representative of the watch industry and the CEO of a brand founded by an American, Georges Kern sits on the board of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.