Urban Jürgensen officially relaunches under the stewardship of Kari Voutilainen
The revival gains further momentum with the release of three new Urban Jürgensen timepieces—its first new collection in over a decade
Let's shift focus from Switzerland to Denmark and discover one of the most storied Danish watch brands: Urban Jürgensen. Founded in Copenhagen in 1773, the brand was notable for its marine chronometers for the Danish Navy. In later years, its exceptional craftsmanship and Scandinavian design sensibility caught the eye of the Danish royal court, earning it the distinction of official watchmaker.
It all but disappeared in the early 20th century, until it was revived in the 1980s by Swiss watchmaker Peter Baumberger, who partnered with English watchmaker Derek Pratt to continue Urban Jürgensen's legacy in producing high-quality, handcrafted timepieces that honoured traditional watchmaking techniques.
Read more: From the artistic to the mysterious, Franck Muller captivates with its latest collection
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3 days ago
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Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Yahoo
Who is Michael Sabia and why did Mark Carney bring him back into government?
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But his command of French is very strong, which led to senior roles in Quebec. He has led organizations in several sectors including asset management, telecommunications, transportation and utilities. His government work has included senior roles in the finance department and the privy council office. His education includes earning a bachelor of arts degree in economics and politics from the University of Toronto and graduate degrees in the same areas of study from Yale University. Most recently, Sabia was CEO of Hydro-Quebec, which he joined in 2023. Prior to that he was the first native-English speaker to run the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the province's multi-billion pension manager, a job he held from March 2009 to January 2020. His run as chief executive of the Caisse was widely considered a success despite some early concerns that he might be considered an outsider. Prior to that, he spent several years at Montreal-based Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE Inc.), joining in 1999 and rising through the ranks to become president and chief executive in 2002 after serving as chief operating office and CEO of Bell Canada International. From 1993 to 1999, he worked at Canadian National Railway, with roles including chief financial officer. Sabia was instrumental in the privatization of CN in 1995. Sabia was Canada's deputy minister of finance from 2020 to 2023. He was also a member of the Canadian government's Advisory Council on Economic Growth, which was created in 2016, and served as chair of the Canada Infrastructure Bank from 2020 to 2021. He spent much of his early career in government before moving to the private sector. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he worked at the department of finance where he was director general of tax policy and one of the architects of a comprehensive reform of Canada's tax system, and at the Privy Council Office, where he was deputy secretary to the cabinet. His boss there, clerk of the Privy Council Paul Tellier, left to run Canadian National Railway in the early 1990s and Sabia followed. Sabia won praise for stabilizing the Caisse de depot after it sustained a deep loss during the financial in 2008. During his tenure, assets nearly tripled, reaching $326.7 billion, and the pension posted five and 10-year annualized returns of 8.3 and 9.9 per cent. However, assessments of his earlier tenure at BCE were mixed. A sluggish share price led to shareholder unrest and a contentious takeover battle by a consortium that included the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which intended to privatize the telecom company in what would have been the biggest corporate takeover in Canadian history. The planned deal ultimately did not take place, and some blamed Sabia for the tumultuous period marked by court battles. Sabia was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2016 in recognition of his leadership across business, finance and public service. In receiving the honour, he was credited by governor general Mary Simon with 'helping to rejuvenate Canada's fiscal infrastructure as the country's general director of tax policy before lending his business acumen to a number of iconic Canadian enterprises.' Hydro-Québec's new boss: What you should know about the man and the job Why turning Canada's new defence spending into economic growth may be 'easier said than done' Sabia's close association with Quebec is seen as a strength for the minority Liberal government that may need support from the Bloc Québécois party to remain in power and get key legislation passed. Carney already reached into the Caisse de depot, where Sabia also worked, for his chief of staff: former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Marc-André Blanchard. Sabia also brings a deep understanding of Canadian pensions funds, which will be brought to bear as the government seeks to 'catalyze' billions of dollars in private investment. 'Canada's exemplary public service — with Mr. Sabia at the helm — will advance nation-building projects, catalyze enormous private investment to drive growth, and deliver the change Canadians want and deserve,' the government said in a statement announcing his appointment. • Email: bshecter@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
