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Born in Geneva in 1970, Thierry is the son of Philippe Stern, Honorary President of Patek Philippe, and the grandson of Henri Stern (1911-2002), Honorary President until 2002. Since 1932, when Charles Stern acquired the watchmaking firm in Geneva, Patek Philippe has remained in the hands of the same family.
Thierry represents today the fourth generation. The man responsible for navigating this fine Swiss Watchmaking Company was exposed to virtually all aspects of the business, going from the watchmaking workshops to the administrative offices at regular intervals, following the family tradition. Raised in the world of watchmaking, he wanted to start at the very bottom and learn all the wheels of the trade.
After his business studies at the Ecole de Commerce of Geneva, Thierry Stern enrolled in an accelerated program at the Watchmaking School of Geneva, during which he grew familiar with the secrets of watchmaking mechanics. Following this first introduction to the trade, Thierry Stern was ready to begin his training and career in the family business.
In 1990, Thierry Stern first started working for Patek Philippe as an administrative employee. He was sent to discover a specific market, Germany, where he spent close to two years with two large Patek Philippe retailers. During this period, he was exposed to the world of retail and sales, and was able to closely observe all the processes and strategies prior to the sale of a watch. After Germany, the young Thierry Stern left for the USA, to spend time with one of the largest Patek Philippe subsidiaries, the Henry Stern Watch Agency in New York. During these two years, he visited all retailers in this large market. A worthy experience which gave him the opportunity to get involved in sales, inventory management for bracelets and components, after-sales service and business relations.
Upon his return from the USA, Thierry Stern joined the Ateliers Réunis SA, the former trade name of the Patek Philippe case and bracelet workshops, where he took on the blue collar to learn about the manufacturing of components of bracelets and watch exteriors. This experience allowed him to work nearby great watchmaking artists, who showed him the unparalleled quality of traditional crafts and know-how. Thierry Stern also took part in the introduction of new production methods, in particular of highly sophisticated computer controlled machines.
In 1997 Thierry Stern was appointed for a period of two years to the position of Market Manager for the Benelux, a highly diversified and challenging market. In this role, he developed understanding and knowledge of sales planning, together with all the business aspects of the trade. When he returned to the Geneva headquarters, Thierry Stern took over the responsibility of product development and creation at Patek Philippe from 1998 to 2003. In this position, he organized and rationalized all internal services, allowing management to have direct and immediate access to the creative activities underway. Thanks to this approach, increasingly specific data can be provided, thus ensuring better time management and cost control in product development.
In May 2006 Thierry Stern was appointed Vice President of Patek Philippe and Member of the Management Committee. The purpose of the Management Committee is to take critical and strategic decisions to ensure the long-lasting performance of the family-owned firm Patek Philippe, as well as prepare Thierry Stern to take over the company management. In August 2009 Thierry Stern took over the presidency of Patek Philippe from his father Philippe. He was named President of Patek Philippe SA and Member of the Management Committee. The Management Committee is currently composed of Thierry Stern, President, Philippe Stern, Honorary President, and Claude Peny, Managing Director.
