Robert Christiano is the new Managing Director of Fossil (Europe) GmbH EMEA and Travel Retail who will also be responsible for distribution operations in the EMEA countries. [Diane Harrington continues to be responsible for the

US market, as Director of Sales, Travel Retail-Ed].

Christiano has been working for Fossil (Europe) GmbH since 2000 and most recently, as Vice-president Distribution Markets, he was responsible for the distribution countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

‘I am particularly looking forward to the travel retail business, because for me airports are the window to the world. We can present ourselves to the end-consumer in an environment where he simply must pass by’, explains Robert Christiano, describing his enthusiasm for his new area of responsibility.

In his new position he wants to expand travel retail in the EMEA countries and further strengthen long-standing trade partnerships. For that reason, at the end of 2008 Fossil (Europe) GmbH opened a new office in Dubai/UAE which is responsible for the Arabian countries, as well as an office in Athens which looks after Greece, Malta and Cyprus as well as Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. ‘With our new regional managers we are closer to our customers and can respond faster to the geographical and cultural conditions’, said Christiano.

The company says that Christiano's development of the travel retail market will be aided by a training programme which is especially tailored to the requirements of airports and travel retail partners. In addition, the Fossil Group says it will endeavour to create a convincing impression with a shop-in-shop system developed especially for the market, which will be introduced at the Cannes trade show this October.

Christiano will be based in the company's headquarters in Bavaria's Erlst?tt (near Munich).