Greeting us inside the swanky VIP room inside A. Lange & Söhne’s ION Orchard boutique, CEO Wilhelm Schmid apologies as he requests that we stand with him for our interview. “It’s my back,” he explains. Schmid had just landed from a flight from Europe, and his first post-pandemic, long-haul flight had taken a toll on his back. It is no problem, of course. Not when the 59-year-old has always been accommodating, thoughtful, and generous every time he engages with us, as he is right now.
Despite his niggly back and a packed schedule, Schmid is raring to go. There are interviews to conduct, customer dinners to be had, and meetings with his team, some of whom he is meeting in person for the first time. “First thing on my agenda? To reconnect with people,” he says. “I’m going to Bangkok
