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Walter von
Känel, a keen
fan of the Saint-Imier watchmakers
“
Watchmaking has always fascinated me”, says Walter
von Känel, who spent his childhood
from 1945 at the top of the Saint-Imier Valley in the
Bernois Jura, the heart of Swiss watchmaking.
“ When I was a boy, the great Longines company in
the foothills of Saint-Imier, where
most of the people of our region worked, always impressed
me, and I was convinced that one day, I was going to
work there. Already at that time, watchmaking was the
life
of our region,
and I knew that one day it would enable me to discover
the world.”
Walter von Känel’s professional career started
with the Federal Authorities, where he worked
as a technical officer in the Customs Departments.
In 1964, he joined Jean Singer Ltd., a
watch dials and cases manufacturer in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
After a few years in the Industrial Accounts, Logistics
and Sales Departments, he joined the
Longines Watch Company Francillon Ltd. as a Sales Executive.
Shortly after, he was sent to
the USA for a training course with Longines’ American
agent: LONGINES – WITTNAUER
WATCH Co. LTD in New York. His passion for watchmaking,
his abilities, his talent as a
negotiator and his strong personality are all qualities
that enabled him to climb the ladder
quickly. In 1988, after having worked as a Sales Executive
and then as a Commercial
Executive (Sales and Marketing), he was entrusted with
Longines’ General Management.
In 1990, Nicolas G. Hayek, Chairman of The Swatch Group
Ltd., requested him to join the Group’s enlarged
management. The many years that Walter von Känel
served in the Swiss Army as an officer in the militia
have enabled this
former Major in an Infantry Regiment to
acquire ground expertise in the fields of human resources
management and general
organization.
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| Biography
of Walter von Känel,
President of Longines |
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 Date
of birth: September
1, 1941, in Schwerin, Germany
Nationality: Swiss
Marital
status: Married, 2 children
Education: Commercial
studies and apprenticeship with Nusslé SA,
La Chaux-de-Fonds
Many proficiency and advanced training courses in Switzerland
and
abroad
Hobbies: Target
shooting, running, long distance skiing, regional history
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Professional
Career
1963
Federal Authority in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Bienne and Brigue
Customs technical officer
1964 - 1969
Jean Singer Ltd., La Chaux-de-Fonds
Various duties in the Industrial Accounts, Logistics and Sales Departments
1969 - 1988
Longines Watch Co. Francillon Ltd., Saint-Imier
Sales Executive
Sales Department Manager
Sales and Marketing Manager
As of 1988
Longines Watch Co. Francillon Ltd., Saint-Imier
President
As of 1990
The Swatch Group Ltd.
Member of the Group’s enlarged management |
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