Top hire for British luxury watch brand Christopher Ward
Luxury watch brand Christopher Ward has appointed an advertising and marketing veteran as its new chief operating officer.
Sarah Baumann will join the Maidenhead-headquartered brand on 23 September, having most recently been managing director of social media and influencer agency, The Wild by Jungle from February 2023 to March this year.
Prior to that, she spent more than three years as managing director of VaynerMedia in London after serving as director of marketing at People’s Vote UK, a campaign calling for a referendum on the UK’s final Brexit deal.
Baumann worked at creative agency Leo Burnett for almost 17 years up to February 2018, rising to deputy chief executive.
She said: “It’s not every day you discover a brand like Christopher Ward.
“Aside from its extraordinary growth and highly engaged community of watch-lovers, Christopher Ward is making waves within one of the world’s most established industries because of its vision, design, quality and value of its product.
“The opportunity is enormous, and I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Mike, Peter and their talented team for the next chapter of Christopher Ward’s expansion.”
Sales and profits spike at Christopher Ward
The appointment comes after Christopher Ward saw its profit spike as its sales almost doubled during its latest financial year.
The business reported a turnover of £30.5m for the year to March 31, 2024, up from £16.8m. Its pre-tax profits also surged from £222,000 to £3.9m.
The company was founded by Christopher Ward, Mike France and Peter Ellis in 2004.
France, who serves as the firm’s chief executive, added: “Sarah combines exceptional leadership and strategic skills with a profound knowledge of the new brand and business landscapes, which is going to be vital as we look to continue our trajectory of rapid growth in the coming years.”
The news also comes ahead of the business moving to a new head office in Maidenhead in the coming months.
It is also set to open its first US showroom in Dallas on 16 September.