Patrick Heiniger
Patrick Heiniger, managing director and chief executive officer of Montres Rolex SA, is only the third chief executive since Rolex was founded a century ago, in 1905. A lawyer by training, Mr. Heiniger left the law firm he founded and joined Rolex in 1986 as marketing director. In 1992, he was appointed president and CEO of Rolex, as well as chairman of the holding company. Over the past decade, he has been largely responsible for the company’s continued pre-eminence in the watch industry. Concerned with the well-being of Rolex’s 7,000 employees world-wide, as well as with maintaining the Rolex corporate image, Heiniger has been the driving force behind the expansion of the headquarters’ facilities in Geneva and building projects in Paris, Melbourne, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Mexico, and Tokyo, as well as the creation of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.
Source: University Programs and Events Planning Resources, September 2005