Executive Leadership | Timex Group USA (2024)

Tobias Reiss-Schmidt
President & Chief Executive Officer, Timex Group

Tobias Reiss-Schmidt is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Timex Group. In this role, he assumes responsibility for the functions of marketing, product, manufacturing, sales, finance and administration for the Group’s globally recognized brands, including Timex, Guess, Gc, Versace, Versus, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Nautica.

Tobias’ vision for Timex Group is focused on the consumer – dedicated to understanding the needs and wants of different segments and speaking to each in a relevant and engaging way. As a result, he has implemented narrowly focused brand teams and initiated the development of segmented product & marketing strategies. Additionally, he is increasing the focus on leveraging the Group’s strong watchmaking know-how and manufacturing infrastructure and on driving product innovation and speed to market.

Tobias began his career in International Marketing at Beiersdorf Group in his home country of Germany. Afterwards, he joined Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he was a member of the Consumer & Retail practice and focused his work on the fashion and sporting goods industries.

Prior to joining Timex Group in 2015, Tobias held the position of President & CEO of The Rockport Company.

Tobias holds an MBA from INSEAD and is a graduate of the University of Applied Sciences Muenster (Germany). Tobias enjoys active sports such as kitesurfing, sailing and skiing. He lives in Westport, Connecticut with his wife, Sara, and daughter.

Annica Forsberg
Chief Financial Officer, Timex Group

Annica Forsberg is the Chief Financial Officer of Timex Group. Annica has over 20 years of experience working with the adidas Group and Rockport brands in both the Nordics and North American markets. She is a performance driven leader with experience navigating in multi-cultural, matrix environments in global and national companies. Annica’s key strength is to quickly understand business drivers and be motivated by solving problems to improve results and processes. Annica was instrumental in the Rockport transition to adidas Group. She most recently held the position as VP, Finance, adidas Group, Canada.

As a leader, Annica is known for her financial and business acumen, including business planning, controlling, accounting, treasury, credit control, inventory management, as well as supply chain, including operating and transforming own and 3PL warehouses. Annica has a proven track record with market start-ups, the set up and running of financial shared services, system implementations, process development, strategy and organizational changes. She has strong focus on developing people and building a positive culture for her team and for the company.

Giorgio Galli
Design Director, Timex Group

Giorgio Galli is the Design Director for Timex Group B.V., a position to which he was appointed in 2013. Based in Milan, Italy, Giorgio and the Giorgio Galli Design Lab have been creating and designing watches for Timex Group for more than a decade. In July 2007, Timex Group purchased the Giorgio Galli Design Lab.

Under the direction of Giorgio, the Lab’s team designs more than 400 watches annually for Timex Group brands, including Timex, Nautica, Versace, Versus and Ferragamo.

Co-founder of several companies and initiatives in the design, communications, internet and television businesses, Giorgio began his career in the watch industry in the 1990s as the youngest art director for the Swatch Lab. Recognized as one of the world’s premiere watch designers, he has also worked extensively with other international watch brands, such as Movado Group, Seiko and Citizen. A native of Varese, Italy, he studied Graphic Design and Design at the Academy of Arts in Florence before moving to San Francisco.

Brett Gibson
President & Chief Commercial Officer, Sequel

Brett Gibson holds the position of President and Chief Commercial Officer of SEQUEL. In this role, Brett is responsible for global product, marketing and sales strategy and execution for both GUESS and Gc watches. This encompasses overall commercial functions for all international, U.S. domestic and subsidiary markets in the UK, Canada and Hong Kong.

Brett has been involved with both the GUESS and Gc brands since 2000, working originally for the watch distributor in his native country of Australia before relocating to London in 2004 and to Zug, Switzerland in 2011 where he managed SEQUEL’s distributor-based business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. More recently, he managed global sales before relocating to Connecticut in his current role.

Paolo Marai
President & Chief Executive Officer, Vertime B.V.

Paolo Marai is the President and CEO of the Timex Group Luxury Division, a position to which he was appointed in April 2005.

Prior to joining Timex, Paolo was with Philips Consumer Electronics and with Swatch Group where he held leadership positions within the sales and marketing departments.

He also has held positions of increasing scope and responsibility working directly or under license for several luxury and fashion brands, including SUPERGA, Fendi, Armani, Dior, Givenchy and Kenzo.

A native of Milan, Italy, Paolo is a graduate of Bocconi University.

David Payne
Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Timex Group

David Payne is the Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Timex Group. He is responsible for the worldwide legal operations of the company as well as the tax and customs departments. David joined the Timex legal department as Senior Counsel in 2001, becoming Assistant General Counsel in 2008, and assuming his current position in 2015.

Prior to joining Timex, David practiced law as an associate at Carmody & Torrance in Waterbury, Connecticut, and Johnston, Barton, Proctor & Powell in Birmingham, Alabama. In his private practice, David focused on employment defense with respect to ADA, ADEA, and Civil Rights Act violations in federal and state courts. He also represented large creditors in multi-state bankruptcies serving as lead on several creditors’ committees.

David is a graduate of the University of Alabama and obtained his juris doctorate from Washington & Lee University. He is admitted to the Connecticut bar and is a member of the American Bar Association. David enjoys racing triathlons and completed the 2012 Ironman Triathlon in Lake Placid. He lives in Watertown, Connecticut with his wife, Stacey, and their three children.