Daniel Niederer is the founder and CEO of Seven Friday.

1. Describe briefly your childhood.

I grew up at the lake of Zürich in Switzerland in very sheltered circumstances. My mom was at home looking after my older sister and me, my dad travelled the world as CEO of a variety of companies. I did my whole education from High School to University in and around Zurich.

In a nutshell, it was a great childhood with the slopes for skiing in winter in the “backyard” the lake in the “front yard” in summer times.

2. As a child did you have any driving ambition?

I did have some amazing professional ambitions as a child, probably to the horror of my parents. Amongst others at different stages I wanted to be a baker/pastry chef because I thought you get all the sweets you can eat… another time I wanted to become a garbage collector as I thought it to be SO cool hanging outside the back of a driving truck…I also remember that I wanted to have the biggest and meanest snowplough truck for whatever reasons…as you can see so far I didn’t achieve any of those thriving ambitions yet.

3. What is your first significant memory as a child?

I am really impressed by people that can perfectly recall a single most significant moment like 40-45 years ago! I must admit that I can’t, it’s more a collection of many different memories. And probably I am mixing them up in the meantime anyway or adjusted them to my better liking 😉

4. Have you ever had another profession?

I started off completely different, finishing first my master in law and starting my professional career in IT at Compaq computers. I was always fascinated by the speed of innovation in the digital industry, which makes you wonder how I ended up in the watch industry….

5. What made you decide to go in the direction you are currently in?

Whilst still at Compaq, I wanted to see the world and live in different places outside Switzerland and was therefore looking for jobs abroad. I ended up getting a job as country manager Australia and New Zealand for a Swiss trading house that happen to distribute Swiss watches. This was very much to my surprise as I had no clue about watches and have never been in Australia.

For the same company I ended up working in different positions throughout Asia Pacific for 10 years restructuring a variety of offices in the Distribution of luxury goods.

2010 many things came together. My family wanted to move back to Switzerland, I wanted to start my own business and I disagreed with the approach of many brands I worked with over the 10 years. In my unlimited arrogance I thought that I know better and was therefore frustrated. I had two options, shut up or start my own venture.

6. What’s the worst job you’ve had to do?

Plenty of horrible jobs were surly during my army days…. But other than that, I guess the worst was a combination of 2 jobs. I decided it was a good idea to work in a night club as a bar keeper till 4am and then as a fitness instructor the next day at 9am…one of them surprisingly asked me kindly to leave.

7. What’s been the hardest moment in your life so far, and how did you overcome it?

When I look around what is happening in the world, I don’t think I really had a very hard moment so far. It would be wrong and ungrateful of me to put anything down here as I was so unbelievably fortunate so far in comparison to many others.

8. Who has had the strongest influence on you?

Both my parents had the strongest continues influence on me for very different but complementary reasons. There are many other people I met and learned from a lot along the way.

9. What are you most proud of?

3 Things:

My wife for having put up with me and for building a family with 2 kids whilst floating through all the different homes in Asia Pacific and supporting me in my professional challenges.

My kids for having endured the constant change of homes and my frequent absence due to travelling and for having because of that or despite that grown-up into tolerant, world open and curious young adults.

SEVENFRIDAY, the brand and company that is much more than a job/company to me but more my live attitude and other family member!

10. What advice would you give to a 20 something someone thinking of taking a similar path as you?

Don’t ask too many people for advice, dare to be different, follow your believes and trust in yourself and always apply common sense!

11. Name three things on your bucket list.

I hope it doesn’t sound really too bad, but I don’t have three most important things. I have plenty of things I would want to experience, many places I’d like to visit and many people I’d like to meet. I see my life more as a constant and hopefully exciting journey rather than just a focus on singular events.

12. Where do you think the industry is going to be in 10 year’s time?

I don’t think that watch industry is radically revolutionizing over the coming 10 years, it really hasn’t done that in the past either. For example, it took the industry 10 years and corona to fully embrace the digital age.

Whilst consistency can be a very good thing being complacent is clearly not. I do hope that the industry applies learning from the past and applies them for a continues positive evolution, most importantly that it keeps in mind that it is all about the consumer.

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