Join us for a CEIBS Executive Forum on October 28, 2026, with Mr. Wilhelm Schmid, CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, who will give a keynote speech on the theme “Never Stand Still: The Power of Strategic Resolve Across Cycles.”

About this Event

A. Lange & Söhne is the pinnacle of Saxon precision watchmaking, with a history dating back to 1845 and a rebirth in 1990. This forum will explore how this heritage brand navigates the complexities of the modern global economy, examining the intersection of timeless craftsmanship and contemporary strategic resilience while seeking to uncover how enduring values can serve as a compass amidst market volatility and digital transformation.

CEO Wilhelm Schmid will deliver a keynote tracing the brand's journey through its origins, design philosophy, manufacturing excellence, and unwavering dedication. Moving beyond a historical retrospective, he will articulate the brand's future outlook by introducing a refined strategic framework: maintaining immutable core anchors while adapting external tactics, highlighting how disciplined restraint and a focus on genuine value creation have fortified the brand's position and offering a unique case study on thriving through "strategic invisibility" in an era of hyper-connectivity.

The session will conclude with a fireside chat featuring Mr. Schmid, Mr. Patrick Li (Publisher of Bloomberg Businessweek, Executive Director of META MEDIA HOLDINGS LTD.), and CEIBS Professor of Finance and Accounting, Parkland Chair in Finance, and Associate Dean (PhD) Oliver Rui. Representing global strategy, a media perspective, and academic insight, the trio will discuss how enterprises convert certainty into sustainable competitiveness during continuous global fluctuations. Together, they will work to identify which factors must remain inviolable core assets and explore how trust and consistency forge lasting relationships in an uncertain world.

Keynote Speaker

Mr. Wilhelm Schmid
CEO of A. Lange & Söhne

Wilhelm Schmid currently serves as CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, a prestigious German watch manufacturer within the Richemont Group. Born in Jülich, Germany, in 1963, Schmid holds a Diploma in Business Administration. He is married with two children and resides in Dresden.

His professional career began in 1989 at The Burmah Oil Germany (Burmah-Castrol), where he held senior positions in sales, marketing, and controlling until 2002. Following this, he moved to BMW AG in 2002, where he worked in senior roles in sales and marketing for eight years.

In January 2011, Wilhelm Schmid was appointed CEO of Lange Uhren GmbH, the company behind A. Lange & Söhne. Under his leadership, the brand has continued to uphold its reputation for exquisite craftsmanship, technical innovation, and traditional “Glashütte” watchmaking, solidifying its position as one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-end mechanical watches.

Event details

Date & Time: October 28, 2026, 19:00-20:30
Venue: Duan Yongping Academic Centre 109, CEIBS Shanghai Campus, 699 Hongfeng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, China
Language: English (with Chinese interpretation)
Event Format: Offline
Organisers: Alumni Relations and Development Office, Dean' s Office

Agenda:

Contact/Registration: To register, click the link below, contact Ms. Quella Fang at execforum@ceibs.edu, or call +86-21-28905101 for more information.

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