LONDON — Breitling CEO Georges Kern has turned his attention from one Swiss luxury product to another, acquiring a stake in natural soap and skin care brand Soeder.
For Kern, a marketing and management prodigy, the investment is personal. He began his career at Kraft General Foods and made his name repositioning IWC at Compagnie Financière Richemont before joining Breitling.
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Kern said that after years of using Soeder’s soap, she “realized the profound impact that high-quality skin care products can have on our health and the environment.”
The investment, Kern continued, was “motivated by my commitment to sustainability and my desire to make the best Swiss brands accessible to a global audience.” The amount of Kern’s investment was not disclosed.
Kern is also driving Breitling’s sustainability strategy, which includes the exclusive use of lab-grown diamonds and responsibly mined gold.
As part of his investment in Soeder, he has joined the board of directors and plans to support the company’s expansion into new markets and global brand awareness.
Soeder was founded in Zurich in 2013 by Hanna and Johan Olzon Akerstrom with the aim of making skin care “more body- and environmentally-friendly”.
The products, all available in refillable packaging, are developed and manufactured locally at the company’s factory in Zurich. All ingredients are 100 percent naturally derived and include Swiss honey, wheat proteins and cold-pressed organic oils. According to Soeder, there are no synthetic additives.
The bottles are made of glass and locally recycled plastic and the brand has more than 130 refill stations.
The products include the natural soap Herbal Garden, the natural lotion Lavender Field and the natural shampoo Mystic Journey, which are priced between 24 and 59 Swiss francs and between 28 and 69 US dollars, respectively.
The brand is distributed through 500 stores in Europe, the US and Asia. Retailers include Bergdorf Goodman, KaDeWe, 25 Hours Hotels, Amour Hotels in Paris and Nice, France, and three standalone stores in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland.
Soeder’s new Zurich flagship store is located in Zurich’s main train station.
Hanna Olzon Akerstrom, co-founder and creative director, said Kern “recognizes our goal to transform the skincare industry. We are committed to creating products that are truly good for people and the planet, and we strive for complete transparency every step of the way. We hope to set new standards for quality and sustainability.”
Konrad Bergstrom, Soeder’s CEO and largest investor, said Kern’s support “underscores the growing importance of sustainable, natural products. We look forward to continuing to drive innovation and expand our reach worldwide.”
Bergstrom is the founder of Swedish electric boat company X Shore and music consumer tech company Zound Industries, now Marshall Group.
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