Founded in 1834, Wolf has built its reputation as a global leader in luxury jewellery storage and watch care, combining heritage craftsmanship with patented technologies designed to protect and preserve treasured pieces. Few embody that journey more closely than Simon Wolf, who began his career in 1985 learning production on the factory floor alongside his father, Philipp Wolf IV. From those early lessons, Simon went on to spearhead the brand’s expansion into North America, establish a base in
Hong Kong, and today oversees a global team as both CEO and creative director.
In this conversation with Inside Retail, Simon reflects on the values that shaped his leadership, the challenges of international expansion and how he is steering the company into its next chapter.
Inside Retail: What were the defining lessons from your early years at the company that still guide you today?
Simon Wolf: My Father, Philipp Wolf IV, like many, said, “If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing well”. He could build just about anything, taught himself to fly and could ride horses and bicycles alike. He showed me, through example, that shortcuts don’t work – hard work and persistence do. I have never given up.
IR: Could you elaborate on the journey of Wolf since 1834 and how the brand has maintained its position as a global leader for nearly two centuries?
SW: My great, great-grandfather had an idea that placing the jewellery and silverware that he made inside a leather box would increase his sales by making the product look more enticing. That inventiveness is what launched the business 191 years ago. It is this innovative spirit and perseverance that have, for generations, been in the Wolf family’s DNA, keeping the brand flourishing.
IR: As both CEO and creative director, how do you balance business strategy with creative vision?
SW: I have been doing it for so long (I’m now 60!) that the two elements of the business flow together effortlessly for me. Of course, things must be commercial, but never at the risk of making something mundane or obvious. It’s all about how to reinvent something so that it just works or looks better, ensuring it has wide appeal. That’s not to say that on occasion I have a vanity project that I just want to do, knowing that it is for other reasons than being commercial.
IR: What’s the single biggest lesson you’ve learned about building a heritage brand in modern times?
SW: Never stop moving forward, as you become more ‘famous’, there are more imitators and naysayers, so you must stay true to what you know, the history that got you to where you are. Stay constant to what the legacy of the company has always been about, but adapt it to the current times.
IR: What leadership principle do you return to most often when facing challenges?
SW: If you don’t try to do it, then you never will. Even in the face of failure, of which I have perhaps had more times than successes, you pick yourself up and focus on what is important, what you are trying to achieve and lead the team to that goal.
IR: When you think about your own legacy at Wolf, what’s the one thing you’d like people to remember?
SW: That we did our very best to take care of the planet.
IR: You’ve expanded Wolf from Europe into North America and Asia. What’s been the most challenging market to crack, and why?
SW: Asia, for sure, has been the most challenging. It’s far away, with diverse cultures and manners, and each country has its own way of engaging. Our office in Hong Kong now has a sales director, and we believe we are on the road to rapid expansion.
IR: What’s in the pipeline for Wolf’s retail or partnership strategy in Asia over the next few years?
SW: Always focus on the retail, brick-and-mortar customer, as they are best suited to place our items in the hands of the consumer. Once you have felt and seen the quality of a WOLF first-hand, you will be smitten. All that we do is made by hand, so our finishing and attention to detail are exceptional. That’s how we begin to win the hearts and minds of our Asian consumers.
IR: How do you see Hong Kong’s role evolving for Wolf, especially as luxury retail shifts across Greater China and Southeast Asia?
SW: We opened our office in Hong Kong over 15 years ago. It was imperative that we had a solid base, a home from which to travel to see our clients in the region. Hong Kong, in itself, is also an incredibly important market for our products and a stepping stone to China’s massive retail opportunities.
Further reading: How Lululemon Southeast Asia’s Tim Campbell-Scott found his stride in retail.
