Living and working abroad shaped the coach I became along the way and the woman I am today: Swiss at heart, yet a citizen of the world, my name is Gaelle Devins, mother to Athena & Oliver, our fraternal Twins.
My Journey
From an early age, my dreams & passion enabled me to manifest my professional aspirations around the globe. San Francisco, New York, London, Hong Kong, Geneva, Schaffhausen have been home for many years. Each opportunity abroad led me to the next one and once set in motion, 15 years just flew by.
Having started in FMCG, I tried for many years to break back into Luxury. Doors wouldn’t open as my background wasn’t a match. In the end, with the right mindset, patience, and drive, my dream came true. Ralph Lauren here I was heading up their retail marketing for Northern Europe. The world of fashion, meeting Ralph Lauren and his son, were unique moments in time.
Then one day, out of the blue, an opportunity came up to join IWC Schaffhausen. After a successful interview by phone, I was sat on a plane to Hong Kong. I had never been Asia and every aspect of it was fascinating. Walking around Lan Kwai Fung, trying to find my way to the office, all I could think of was: “Am I crazy enough to do this?” A few months later, I packed up my life and landed in Hong Kong officially embarking on the best and most rewarding professional journey one can dream of.
From there, I transferred to New York to launch first E-commerce Platform for IWC Schaffhausen. Less than a year into the job, I was offered the Retail Director role for North America. Retail is all about numbers, but numbers are nothing without a fantastic team, made up of talented individuals that together create a powerful and skillful network. Traveling North America, dealing with the different time zones, the vastness of the country, the many boutiques, the crazy hours, and the lack of sleep was intense yet so rewarding. Adrenaline kept us going and together we developed the framework for what Customer Experience (CX) is at IWC Schaffhausen. Emotion based & Intuitive Coaching was the key to unlock the many success stories in terms of sales, individual growth, and team’s performances.
Fast forward 15 years abroad as an expat, time had come for me to go back home. August 2018, I moved back to Switzerland to establish the Global Customer Experience & in-house Coaching function.
Time has flown by since I joined IWC Schaffhausen in November 2012. Fast forward 8 years, November 20th 2020, our Fraternal Twins “Athena & Oliver” decided to make their Grande Entrance on Planet Earth and with their birth, came the birth of a mother and this personal project.
THE LOGO
Logo Story and Inspiration
You might be wondering what inspired the geometric pattern you see in my logo. If so, I’m glad you asked! My logo is inspired by my twins. They have shown me the way to the mother I am today.
Since the moment they were conceived, my twins have filled my heart with love, happiness, and new found inspiration. During a meditation, I felt my twins show me this imagery.
To celebrate their birth, their initials A&O sit at the core of the my logo design, linked by a line that never ends. It’s my interpretation of the Infinity Symbol and my hope is that it reminds all of us that We are All One.