Roland Wolff (blue shirt) at the Leica store opening in Palm Beach (credit: Bill Antalek)
Allendale, NJ (July 10, 2012) – Leica Camera Inc., announced today the promotion of Roland Wolff to Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Retail, effective immediately. The announcement was made by Roger Horn, President of Leica Camera Inc., the American division of the legendary camera and sport optics brand headquartered in Solms, Germany. Mr. Wolff previously served as Director of Corporate Retail and joined Leica in 1998.
“In addition to proven sales and marketing management expertise, Roland Wolff possesses exceptional interpersonal, organizational and creative skills, which are only enhanced by his personal determination and reliability,” said Mr. Horn. “He has an established track record within the company and photographic industry at large. With Leica Camera’s expanded marketing and retail initiatives, it is an opportune time for Roland to assume this new role and continue his efforts in furthering the presence of Leica Camera in North, South and Central America.”
As Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Retail, Mr. Wolff will be responsible for the strategy and execution of all marketing and corporate retail initiatives in the Americas. He will continue to manage the expansion of Leica Stores and Leica Boutiques as part of the Leica Camera retail concept in the region. This development follows Leica Camera’s highly successful North American retail debut in May 2012 with the Leica Store Washington DC and future locations slated for New York, NY (SoHo) and Miami, FL.
“It is both a privilege and a pleasure to be assuming the role of Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Retail at a company with such a longstanding tradition of quality, excellence and cultural competence,” said Mr. Wolff. “Aligning the areas of marketing and corporate retail allows us to now bring the Leica Camera brand directly to our consumers in innovative and inspiring ways, something I am personally passionate about. While the company’s roots are in Germany and in optical engineering, the Leica Camera experience is truly emotional and universal.”
Since joining Leica Camera in 1998, Mr. Wolff has held various positions in the company both in the Americas and internationally, providing him with a global understanding of the legacy brand. His work experience includes the roles of Director of Corporate Retail and Director of New Business Development for Leica Camera Inc. In addition, he managed all aspects of the business in Leica Camera’s UK division as Managing Director. Mr. Wolff began his tenure with the company at Leica Camera’s headquarters in Germany as a Product Manager for Digital Compact Camera, Internet Department Manager and Project Manager for the Leica Camera website re-launch in 2000.
A trained photographer himself, Mr. Wolff possesses innate passion for the art. He grew up in his family’s photographic retail chain in Germany and later served the business in a management role. In addition, he successfully completed two apprenticeships in retail and still life photography, providing a thorough understanding of various aspects of the photographic industry. Mr. Wolff holds a degree from the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, Germany.
