GERRY ETTINGER
EARLY AMBITIONS
Gerry Ettinger was born in Prussia in 1909 and grew up in a family where business and craft were innate. His father owned a military tailoring shop in Posen, but when the city was handed back after WWI, Gerry moved to Berlin.
Once in the German capital, Gerry worked for a locomotive company before journeying to Rome, where he found himself in need of work.
Never short of ideas, he set off around the best hotels in the city, introducing himself to the concierge and offering his services as a guide who would show their best guests and tourists around the historical sights of the city. Little did he know that this would lead to the next chapter in his career...
A JOURNEY IN CINEMA
He loved films and the cinema, and expressed his interest and knowledge to a party of hotel guests he was escorting, they happened to be in the film business, and he found himself being offered a job behind the scenes as a runner.
Showing passion and talent, he quickly stepped up and started becoming more involved in producing movies, featuring Marlene Dietrich amongst others.
MASTERING LANGUAGES
Gerry then moved to Paris to continue working in the film industry despite the beginnings of the war.
By this time, he was already fluent in two foreign languages, but his passion for linguistics drove him to take English lessons with actor Hubert Gregg.
Thanks to his natural aptitude for languages, Gerry quickly mastered English, adding yet another language to his repertoire.
THE EARLY DAYS OF ETTINGER
Keen to make use of his newly mastered language and armed with a cut glass English accent, he moved to London in 1933 and was offered the role as a UK representative for several German factories producing leather goods.
Quickly after that, Herion of Pforzheim, a German leather goods company offered him the exclusive agency for the UK and he was set up with an office in Regent Street in the heart of London.
Gerry started supplying the best British department stores like Harrods, Asprey and Fortnum & Mason with unique luxury gifts and leather goods, and in 1934, the business became 'G Ettinger LTD'.
Gerry worked late into his 90s and passed over the reins of the company to his eldest son, Robert in 1995.
ROBERT ETTINGER
A MULTICULTURAL UPBRINGING
Raised in London, Vienna, and France, Robert inherited his father's linguistic talents and curiosity for new cultures.
Alongside his younger brother Paul, he showed a natural ability for sports, particularly excelling in Alpine skiing. Although Robert had the opportunity to become a ski instructor, he ultimately chose to follow his father's footsteps by pursuing a career in business.
FINDING HIS PATH
Eager to explore the world on his own terms, Robert embarked on a series of business apprenticeships abroad at a young age. His journey began in Germany, where he immersed himself in the marble gifting industry, followed by several years in Canada, working in Luxury jewellery retail with Mappins.
In 1980, Robert finally joined the familly business, working alongside his father until 1995 when he took over the reins as Gerry retired, ushering in a new era for the company.
When the company was granted a Royal Warrant to HRH The Prince of Wales in 1996, Robert set-off to build Ettinger as an internationally recognised brand while maintaining its crucially important UK design and manufacturing base.