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Luxury Daily’s Luxury Women to Watch 2014

November 27, 2013

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Please click here to download Luxury Daily’s Luxury Women to Watch 2014

Tip a hat or nod respectfully to the 25 women on Luxury Daily’s Luxury Women to Watch 2014 list, a roll call of the some of the smartest women set to make a difference in luxury marketing and retail in 2014.

These executives share traits in common: dedication to craft, consumer focus, leadership potential, ambition, educator and exemplar. And yet, for all the plaudits, these women know that the journey is won step by step, with many miles to go before true gender parity is a reality in the luxury business.

“Women are extremely underrepresented at the highest ranks of luxury companies but fill the majority of positions at every other level,” said Meera Raja, analyst at The Luxury Institute, New York.

This honor list, the second since its debut last year, is geared to spotting future occupants of the C-suite.

Honor list
Executives on the list represent brands and retailers such as Rosewood Hotels, David Yurman, Bang & Olufsen, Lexus, FHRI Hotels and Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton Co., Savelli, Pratesi Linens, H. Stern, La Prairie, Estee Lauder Cos., Moët Hennessy USA and Michael Kors.

Also on the list are executives from agencies, publishers, researchers, consultancies and service providers such as Art Luxe Style, Avista Partners, Brenes Co., ePrize, ShopIgniter, Gallant Media Group, Bluemoon Works, Luxury Institute, Interbrand, Carrot Creative, Hearst Design Group and Style Coalition.

It is a field of strong women with stronger convictions.

“So much of the luxury business is creating personalized experiences and I think women can think creatively to develop them,” said Nancy Hubbell, prestige communications manager at Lexus, Torrence, CA.

Judging process
Picking the honorees was not simple, given the sheer number of submissions. Luxury Daily invited readers to send in their nominations. The Luxury Daily team also had its own slate of candi¬dates based on regular interactions with luxury marketers.

Once the deadline expired, the Luxury Daily team judged the nominees on their merits and narrowed the list to 25 women who showed the most promise to push the envelope in 2014. All judging was based purely on merit and the potential to make a difference.

The list’s responses reflected the pragmatic approach to luxury marketing and retail, balancing both art and science across all channels including online, mobile and especially the mainstay, retail stores.

“Luxury retail settings are modern art galleries,” said Rebecca Miller, New York-based executive vice president of Pratesi Linens.

MANY THANKS to Michelle Nance for putting together this Clas¬sic Guide. Also, thank you to Jen King, Joe McCarthy and Sarah Jones for their nominations and judging as well as the reporting on Luxury Daily.

Please read this guide and reach out to the women honored. As role models, they pave the way for more women aspiring to not only enter luxury marketing and retail, but also aiming for the top.

London-based Rebecca Robins, Interbrand director for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, said it best when she quoted the last words of the late British poet Seamus Heaney: “Noli timere.” Translated from the Latin: “Don’t be afraid.”

Mickey Alam Khan
Editor in Chief

Please click here to download Luxury Daily’s Luxury Women to Watch 2014