A born-and-bred New Yorker, Claudio Terjanian is the son of a jeweler, and grew up surrounded by the jewelry and watch industry.
Knowing that was what he wanted to dedicate his life to, Claudio studied finance at Northeastern University and took a job in sales for Franck Muller, and so began his prominent career within the sector.
After amassing 20 years of experience, including serving as brand manager for Jaquet Droz and as director of retail for Govberg Jewelers, Claudio was appointed as president of MELB Americas in March.
“It is a dream come true and a challenge I am very excited to be part of,” he says.
MELB is H. Moser & Cie’s third wholly-owned subsidiary and represents independent watch brands H. Moser & Cie and Hautlence.
The popularity of artisanal and independent watchmakers has boomed over the past few years, reflected in H. Moser & Cie’s sales increasing by 50% in 2020, with the momentum continuing into 2021.
Galvanised by the current explosion of demand the industry is experiencing, Claudio has a bright outlook for its future.
“In my career, this is the healthiest state that the watch industry has been in,” he says.
“I think our biggest challenge is to maintain the enthusiasm and growth we have seen over the past two years.”
Claudio is the type of enterprising worker who approaches every task and challenge with aplomb, whether that’s in his day job or in the evenings when he attempts to emulate the Iron Chef TV show (think American Gladiators but with cooking, secret ingredients and more drama) for his wife and kids.
“There are no shortcuts to success; show up every day and work hard,” he says.
“Learn everything you can from the bottom up and never shy away from an extra task.”
