The luxury sector relies on female talent

Some prestigious brands have chosen to appoint top women to their management teams. This was again the case recently at Jacquemus, which has just announced the appointment of Sarah Benady as managing director. The businesswoman has had an exemplary career: after a noteworthy stint at Cartier in Hong Kong, then at the Printemps department store group, Sarah Benady took on the role of  President of Celine North America. She contributed significantly to the development of the brand in the United States and its positioning in the high-end market. Thanks to her and the creative work of Hedi Slimane, Celine has evolved considerably in several key markets.

Jacquemus, which wants to take the same strategic turn, i.e., an ever-stronger positioning in the luxury segment and a robust international expansion, has therefore chosen Sarah Benady to accomplish this task. She has fully understood that the innovative and daring spirit of the brand will be the assets to retain in order to broaden the influence of Jacquemus, in the face of a challenging economic climate, and thus give the brand a new lease of life.

At LVMH, a new female profile has also just emerged at the head of Bulgari's high jewelry division. She is Corinne Le Foll, who had already proven herself at Cartier and Dinh Van. Le Foll has announced that she wants to focus on the company's most iconic collections, a winning strategy widely proven at Cartier in recent years. This strategic choice should see the fine jewelry sector grow again, a necessity in the face of the economic impasse recently experienced by the luxury sector.

The appointment of Corinne Le Foll confirms the trend among major brands to choose profiles capable of identifying the elements that constitute the brands' strength, respecting what forges their DNA, and integrating them into an effective commercial strategy to boost growth; these profiles very often belong to women.

This is also the case of Leena Nair, who has been at the head of Chanel since 2022. Her very strong personal involvement in the group's activities - she spent her first year with the company visiting all the production sites and more than a hundred boutiques around the world - and her ability to promote the brand by building on its valuable historical heritage earned her, at the beginning of this year, the honors of the British crown, as she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

And finally, rumors are centered on a woman regarding the future of the Gucci brand, which has been weakened by a decline in commercial performance in recent years. The Kering group is said to be interested in Maria Grazia Chiuri, who recently presented her new DIOR collection in the Tuileries Garden during Paris Fashion Week, and who some predict will be the Italian designer's last show for DIOR. Will female hands rewrite Gucci's destiny? All eyes are on Francesca Bellettini, who, after leading the Saint Laurent brand to success, is currently being scrutinized for her talents as a strategist, having held the position of Deputy CEO in charge of the development of the Kering Group's houses since September 2023.

Among many female talents, the latest prime example of strategic choice is Ilaria Resta, at the head of the Swiss watch brand Audemars Piguet. Her appointment caused a stir in the summer of 2023, when it came to succeeding the charismatic François-Henry Bennahmias. After a 22-year career at Procter & Gamble and more than 3 years as president of Firmenich's Fragrance and Beauty division, this Neapolitan by birth, well-versed in P&G's decentralized and innovation-driven managerial style, is expected to consolidate the brand's years of meteoric rise, while anticipating the economic and geopolitical difficulties that complicate strategic watchmaking choices, which are based on the long term.