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Robert Christiano looks forward to expanding in travel retail and strengthening trade partnerships |
US. US lifestyle label Fossil has appointed Robert Christiano as Managing Director for Travel Retail in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. As Managing Director of Fossil (Europe) GmbH, headquartered near Munich, he is also responsible for distribution in the EMEA countries.
American-born Christiano has been working for Fossil (Europe) GmbH since 2000 and, most recently as Vice President Distribution Markets, he was responsible for the distribution countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“I am particularly looking forward to the travel retail business, because for me airports are the window to the world,” Christiano said. “We can present ourselves to the end-consumer in an environment where he simply must pass by.”
In his new position, Christiano aims to expand travel retail in the EMEA countries and strengthen long-standing trade partnerships. For that reason, at the end of 2008 Fossil (Europe) opened a new office in Dubai which is responsible for the Arabian countries, as well as an office in Athens, which looks after Greece, Malta and Cyprus as well as Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.
Explaining the strategic decision, Christiano said: “With our new regional managers we are closer to our customers and can respond faster to the geographical and cultural conditions.”
Christiano will be relying on a training programme which is focused especially on the requirements of the airports and travel retail partners.
“In addition, the Fossil Group will create a convincing impression with a shop-in-shop system developed especially for the market, which will be introduced at the Cannes [TFWA] trade show,” he said.
About Fossil
Fossil designs, markets and distributes consumer fashion accessories, including an extensive line of men’s and women’s fashion watches and jewellery sold under proprietary and licensed brands, handbags, small leathergoods, belts, sunglasses and apparel. In the watch and jewellery category, the company offers a diverse portfolio of globally recognised proprietary and licensed brand names under which its products are marketed. Products are sold in over 100 countries through 23 company-owned foreign sales subsidiaries and a network of 56 independent distributors. The company also distributes its products in more than 300 company-owned and operated retail stores.
The ACI Airport Business & Trinity Forum, Macau, China, 23-25 September |
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