Business News: Breitling’s House Of Brands Unveils New Executive Leadership With Georges Kern As Group CEO

‘House of Brands,’ the group of watchmakers including Breitling, Universal Genéve, and the soon-to-be-revived Gallet, announced executive changes that will see the flagship brand led by new leadership, with Georges Kern becoming the group’s Chief Executive Officer. Jean-Marc Pontroué, a long-time Richemont executive and the former CEO of Panerai and Roger Dubuis, is the new Chief Executive Officer of Breitling, the group says in a statement. The changes take effect in May. 

Georges Kern, who has led Breitling under new ownership since 2017, overseeing a more than doubling of annual sales to above CHF 800 million, according to analyst estimates, and one of the most dramatic turnarounds in modern watchmaking, becomes the new CEO of the House of Brands, overseeing the three marques and their leadership in a newly created role.

At Universal Genève, which relaunched this month in the high-end segment in what’s likely the most ambitious watch brand return and repositioning in decades, Grégory Bruttin remains Managing Director. Meanwhile, at Gallet, the approachable-priced brand known for its Flying Officer and Multichron models, to be revived in August this year, Erwan Rossignol, who is already leading the team preparing the relaunch, becomes Managing Director.

The changes confirm the multi-brand ambitions of the private-equity-backed Grenchen, Switzerland-based company, and provide a structure similar to that of other groups with portfolios of several watch brands, including Richemont, Swatch Group, and LVMH.

Other executive changes announced include new leaders for the group and brands in the U.S. and the Americas. Antoine Loron, a fast-rising sales executive in his 30s who previously headed sales in Latin America, will become President of Breitling USA and Canada. Loron also joins the executive leadership board of Breitling and its product committee. He succeeds Thierry Prissert, a 15-year company veteran, who, most recently, helped secure Breitling’s global NFL partnership. Prissert will support the expansion and introduction of Universal Genève and Gallet in the U.S. market, the company says, and will become chairman of the House of Brands USA board.

Renato Meier, currently Marketing Director of Breitling USA and Canada, succeeds Antoine Loron as Managing Director of Breitling LATAM, the company says.

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