Omega president raynald aeschlimann

New president for Omega as Urquhart announces retirement

Omega has a new president following the announcement of Stephen Urquhart’s decision to retire on his forthcoming 70th birthday.

Current vice president and international director of sales, retail and distribution, Raynald Aeschlimann, will take over as president of what is arguably Swatch Group’s highest profile brand on June 1.

Aeschlimann has held his current position at Omega since 2001 and has been a member of Swatch Group’s Extended Group Management Board (EGMB) since 2013.

Aeschlimann, a Swiss citizen, graduated with a degree in economics and an MBA from the University of St Gallen in Switzerland. He joined Omega in 1996 as sales and marketing project manager and was also brand manager for Omega and Blancpain in Spain.

Aeschlimann has also been Group Coordinator for Swatch Group’s Indian subsidiary since 2010 and sits on the executive board of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH)

Urquhart will also step down from the EGMB but will ‘remain closely associated with the Swatch Group and will be available for special projects and consultancy assignments’.

Urquhart, a joint Swiss and British citizen, began his career at Omega in 1968, then working at Audemars Piguet between 1974 and 1997, rising to the position of joint chairman before returning to Swatch Group as president of Blancpain.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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