Pascal Ravessoud

Vice President

Self-taught, adaptable and curious, Pascal Ravessoud has lived many different lives. Appointed Vice-President of the Fondation Haute Horlogerie in 2022 after more than 15 years full of twists and turns within the Foundation, his career has been far from typical. A Swiss globetrotter,, precise generalist, and passionate jack-of-all-trades, Pascal has followed a trajectory outside the classic “Grandes Ecoles” curriculum. It is rather his life experiences, whether professional or private, that give meaning to everything he undertakes. Having discovered watchmaking as a teenager, Pascal sees his life as a perpetual opportunity to reinvent himself. His professional career began in events, first with the Montreux Comedy Festival, as part of the original team for several years, then for MCI, where he rubbed shoulders with, the biggest names in watchmaking and pharma, among others. It was at this point that his path crossed that of the FHH. And so the die were cast… for later, after a detour in pharmaceuticals working for Covance between 2001 and 2004, as communications manager, then as director of the events unit in London. At the end of this experience, he reaffirmed his marked preference for watchmaking and chose to return to Switzerland, specifically working for Harry Winston. From communication to marketing, between 2004 and 2007, he held several positions in what was one of the great periods of change for the brand. Adaptability, a personality trait which, like his insatiable curiosity, is an asset that served him throughout his career. His story within the FHH began at the end of 2007. Everything had to be built. Within the prestigious foundation, it was with an entrepreneurial spirit that he developed cultural activities in the markets. Various projects, be they local or international, presented exciting encounters in prestigious partnerships, from the Cultural Council to the Forum. It was therefore only natural that he embraced the latest inflexion point for the FHH together with Aurélie Streit. Since February 2023, the same "start-up spirit", ideas, reflection, culture and transmission of knowledge have never been more central to the mission of the foundation. Because if it seems (almost) unthinkable not to be attracted by the beauty of the object, watches, by their personality, their functioning and their place within a brand, fascinate him to the point of devoting a much of his free time to them. He studies them, collects them, wears them. What makes them so attractive? The association of design and history relating to each timepiece. As if for a meticulously assembled puzzle, Pascal has now acquired a vast personal culture, essential in his approach to making watchmaking culture more accessible to the general public. Learning, understanding, guiding, is indeed for him part of his life course. A guideline between authenticity and a sense of duty that he acquired in particular during his military career as a senior officer. Defining himself as a "citizen and soldier", these years of service have allowed him to develop a strategic vision as well as an increased sense of leadership. So many qualities to which he now combines his 360° vision of the watch industry. Because at a time when the latter is in full turmoil, it seems essential to reaffirm its values through education, the transmission of watchmaking culture and its appreciation. Therein lies the guarantee of creating a lasting spark ensuring the industry’s staying power. A personal conviction combined with the desire to always serve a greater purpose, which unmistakably resembles the long-term ambition of the FHH.