Ricardo Guadalupe

Ricardo Guadalupe, 46 of age, was appointed as CEO of Hublot on 1st January 2012. This appointment has made him Jean-Claude Biver's designated successor, with the latter now Chairman of the Board of Hublot. It also marks an entire career in the Swiss watch industry, and 20 years of loyal collaboration with Jean-Claude Biver, with exceptional results attributable to this duo, such as the renaissance of Blancpain and the burgeoning development of Hublot, two brands which rival the greatest names in watchmaking.

Of Spanish descent, Ricardo Guadalupe was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland on 5th March 1965, where he grew up and spent his entire school career in this region known as the cradle of Swiss luxury watchmaking. After obtaining his school leaver's certificate, and already driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, he enrolled in a Swiss Business School before leaving for California in the United States to take a course at the University of Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1988, he was 22 years of age. With a degree and successful time spent in America behind him, he decided to return to Switzerland to start his professional career. Watchmaking was his profession of choice, a passion which had grown year on year since his earliest days in Neuchâtel.

He started as Product Manager at Bulgari. The company was already a major name, but in terms of its watchmaking activities, it was still a small organisation in Geneva. It was a dream opportunity to learn, to tackle every aspect of the business: creation, design, production, procurement, development of the distribution network, marketing… Taken together, these seven years gave him an understanding of the product, the traditional aspect of the profession, whilst developing an aesthetic sensibility for design and creation, essential for the "Italian touch". This allowed Ricardo Guadalupe to play a role in the development of the group's future activities and its strategic transfer Geneva to Neuchâtel.

In 1994, following a meeting with Jean-Claude Biver, which would be decisive for his future, the latter encouraged him to join Blancpain. The brand had been bought out two years earlier by the Swatch Group. Everything need to be rebuilt, to be returned to working order. The adventure promised to be an exciting one, and offered Ricardo Guadalupe a new opportunity to stimulate his entrepreneurial flair. The experience proved rewarding, particularly in terms of technical knowledge of Movements, their creation, development and production. This is a key aspect of the profession. It also marked the beginning of 20 years of collaboration and loyal friendship with Jean-Claude Biver. Appointed International Sales and Marketing Director of Blancpain in 1997, he left the company in 2001 after 8 years, with over a 100 million in turnover to his credit.