Since Eugene Tutunikov became CEO of SwissWatchExpo, one of the top U.S. retailers of pre-owned luxury watches, sales have grown 7 seven times over. The Ukrainian-born and Pennsylvania-raised industry expert joined the Atlanta-based, family-owned business in 2016 after 10 years spent on Wall Street as a trader.

Now, Eugene and SwissWatchExpo have watched the second-hand luxury watch market surge over the past two years. Today, SwissWatchExpo has almost 3,000 ready-to-ship luxury watches available. Once just a small family business, SwissWatchExpo has become a leading force in the watch industry. Check out the Q&A below to hear more from Eugene Tutunikov on SwissWatchExpo and his plans for their future.

Tell us about what it's like to work alongside your family.

It is very rewarding working on something passionately with those that you love. I think it is one of the best experiences one can have. Also having a family business allows us to focus on the future of the company for the long run, instead of what outside investors may want from us in the next 12 months. We don’t have outside investors, so we can be patient and careful in our decision-making. Long-term growth and stability are much more important than short-term headline-grabbing maneuvers.

What do you have planned for SwissWatchExpo as it continues to grow?

We have done a tremendous job in scaling the business to be one of the largest retailers of pre-owned watches in the country, with very rapid growth. Over the past 6 years, we grew over 900% in sales. Our systems, infrastructure, and human capital haven’t kept pace. So, in the next 12 months, especially as we enter a recession as I expect, the focus will be to build the foundation to rapidly grow again once the country comes out of the economic malaise. This will include building and developing a leadership team, investing in process and technology, and growing a very high-performing organization across all levels. The standards for us in every single role are very, very high.

We will be very ready and even stronger for the next economic boom.