Dr Ernst Schneider - Nothing but the best

Davidoff is synonymous with quality, yet few may know this marque of excellence has been developed by Dr Ernst Schneider. James Leavey reports

When you meet Dr Ernst Schneider, chairman and delegate of the Board of Oettinger Imex AG/Davidoff International, in Geneva, the first thing you notice is that he laughs a lot. Especially when he’s sitting back surveying the steady growth of his global business empire with the aid of one of the five Davidoff cigars he smokes every day.

But then relaxing with a fine cigar so that you can refocus your thoughts and energy has long been the philosophy promoted by this 83 year-old former lawyer from Basel, who took over the helm of Switzerland’s faltering tobacco group, Max Oettinger AG, in 1961.

Over the next 40 years, he carefully guided the company into becoming one of the world’s most successful luxury brands, which includes some of the finest premium cigars ever made in the Dominican Republic.

His philosophy of enjoying a good life while you can was nurtured just after World War Two, when the young Schneider was faced with the most horrific side of human nature as a delegate of the Swiss Red Cross on aid missions to the concentration camps of Dachau and Birkenau.

In spite of all this trauma, until the age of 25, Schneider had never smoked a cigar or drank alcohol.

“I was a real sportsman,” he said. “And then I met Annemarie Huppuch, my future wife, and she taught me how to drink a good wine and how to smoke a good cigar.”

Annemarie’s father, Georg Huppuch, was managing director of Switzerland’s leading wholesale tobacco company, Max Oettinger AG, from 1926. When the bus.....

To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door.

By James Leavey

Section : Innovators

Page number : 18

Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 1 on 01/06/2004.

This article is 60 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements.



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	Dr Ernst Schneider - Nothing but the best Davidoff is synonymous with quality, yet few may know this marque of excellence has been developed by Dr Ernst Schneider. James Leavey reports When you meet Dr Ernst Schneider, chairman and delegate of the Board of Oettinger Imex AG/Davidoff International, in Geneva, the first thing you notice is that he laughs a lot. Especially when he’s sitting back surveying the steady growth of his global business empire with the aid of one of the five Davidoff cigars he smokes every day. But then relaxing with a fine cigar so that you can refocus your thoughts and energy has long been the philosophy promoted by this 83 year-old former lawyer from Basel, who took over the helm of Switzerland’s faltering tobacco group, Max Oettinger AG, in 1961. Over the next 40 years, he carefully guided the company into becoming one of the world’s most successful luxury brands, which includes some of the finest premium cigars ever made in the Dominican Republic. His philosophy of enjoying a good life while you can was nurtured just after World War Two, when the young Schneider was faced with the most horrific side of human nature as a delegate of the Swiss Red Cross on aid missions to the concentration camps of Dachau and Birkenau. In spite of all this trauma, until the age of 25, Schneider had never smoked a cigar or drank alcohol. “I was a real sportsman,” he said. “And then I met Annemarie Huppuch, my future wife, and she taught me how to drink a good wine and how to smoke a good cigar.” Annemarie’s father, Georg Huppuch, was managing director of Switzerland’s leading wholesale tobacco company, Max Oettinger AG, from 1926. When the bus..... To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door. By James Leavey Section : Innovators Page number : 18 Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 1 on 01/06/2004. Subscribe Buy this issue More from this issue Preview other issues This article is 60 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements. Copyright Cigar Buyer © 1999-2009. All rights reserved. To use or reproduce part or all of this article please contact us for details of how you can do so legally.