Charlie Abrahams joined MarkMonitor in 2007 to build the company’s regional presence and to lead its EMEA operations. With years of experience in managing and growing technology companies in Europe, Charlie is applying his knowledge and skills to the emerging and important area of protecting enterprise brands online, in which MarkMonitor are the industry experts. Through his career, Charlie has been responsible for the leadership and expansion of major technology businesses, including Plumtree Software and Network General EMEA. He has also held the positions of UK General Manager with the Amdahl Corporation and VP and GM of the European software business. Charlie holds a degree in Economics and Sociology from Cambridge University.
From a retail operation in Caracas in 1990 Carmen grew an international network of customers. Recognizing that geographical location was irrelevant to her luxury clientele, in 1998 Carmen built a private portfolio in online listed companies, knowing that the internet would enable the global luxury formula that she envisaged. CoutureLab was a project Carmen had started to develop prior to becoming a co-founder and one of the major investors of Net-a-Porter; the world’s leading luxury fashion retail magazine online, of which she is now one of the largest shareholders. For Carmen, finding the eclectic and unique, and discovering creative entrepreneurs came naturally. With the market ready to welcome this alliance of artists, artisans and designers, Carmen launched CoutureLab as a physical and virtual space for the demanding and discerning global clientele that she first developed some two decades ago.
Michel Campan specializes in Internet / e-commerce & Web 2.0 strategies for the luxury industry. After 7 years spent at international communication groups (DDB, Altedia), he's been for 12 years one of the forerunners of the Internet in the luxury, fashion and cosmetics sectors. Between 2000 and 2006 he helped create the e-commerce network of Hermes, in the United States, Europe and Japan. He then joined the L'Oreal group to head the Internet and CRM of Lancôme. He launched the first luxury e-commerce website in China and developed the brand strategy on the web 2.0. For Dior Couture he has overhauled the e-commerce strategy and launched the first Web 2.0 communication operation for a fashion House. In 2008, his achievements have been honored by the "e-commerce Man of the year" prize by French Ecommerce Magazine.
Steven Davis is currently EVP and President of GSI’s International division with headquarters in Barcelona (Spain). He is responsible for bringing GSI’s unique end-to-end ecommerce platform leadership in the United States to the rest of the world. Steve is a GSI veteran and has been an executive leading the company since 2000. He has been instrumental in growing GSI’s business from $5 million in e-commerce Sales to over $2.5 billion currently. Prior to his international role, Mr. Davis led the General & Specialty division, Corporate Marketing, Product Management and GSI Interactive, GSI’s full service interactive agency. Steve incubated GSI Interactive in May 2005 and grew the organization to 150 professionals delivering User Experience, Design, Customer Communication, Online Marketing & Product Photography & Content services to the online retail industry. The expansion of Marketing Services for GSI now represents a primary corporate growth initiative.
On leaving university with a degree in Engineering, Guy joined Bhs in London working first in buying and then merchandising across several childrenswear product categories. After working his way up through the structure he then left to join the Arcadia Group where he formed part of a new team working across multiple brands within the group. He then moved into the online side of the business as Trading Manager right at the beginning of the dot com boom before leaving to start up his own online and mail order business which he later sold. Guy joined Harrods in 2002 and redefined the role of the merchandising function within the business before being promoted to Director of Home Shopping where he restructured the organisation and oversaw the project to replatform the entire e-commerce business. Guy joined Liberty in October 2007 and is Managing Director of Internet, Merchandising and Supply Chain and is working on initiatives across all of these areas. His views on e-commerce and retailing are regularly canvassed within the retail sector.
Hailed as a "mail-order magnate" by TIME and "one of the 10 most stylish women in fashion" by VOGUE, Eva single-handedly redefined the business of direct marketing to the affluent consumer with the first mailing of the Vivre catalog, which featured two European luxury brands. Her direct marketing adventure - a glossy, oversized catalog, beautifully photographed and intelligently presented - was specifically targeted to affluent shoppers, a demographic until then overlooked by the direct marketing industry. Like every entrepreneur, Eva has weathered the ups and downs of a growing business since those early days. One thing is clear - the market was ready for Vivre. With an infectious spirit of adventure and passion, Eva has brought Vivre to where it is today - a unique, lifestyle-based, multi-channel retail concept that is poised for explosive growth. .
Ian Jindal is a consultant, publisher, and advisor, working in eCommerce for over a decade in integrated retail and publishing. Clients include House of Fraser, Austin Reed, Westfield Shopping Towns, Otto UK, The British Council and CoutureLab.com. A regular keynote speaker and conference chair, Ian co-founded InternetRetailing, the magazine, portal, and conference for Europe's leading etailers and multichannel retailers. Ian was Group E-commerce Director for Littlewoods Shop Direct Group where he grew online revenues to £405m pa; Head of Online Operations at the BBC, establishing the team that managed over 400 BBC websites and a non-executive Director of Business Link for London. Ian co-founded the European eCommerce Forum and created the UK's first Masters qualification in Internet Retailing (with Econsultancy.com). When not tending his lonely olive tree, Ian can be found at www.innoparticularorder.com
Back in 2003 Rob successfully launched Harvey Nichols’ first online sales website selling Christmas food and drink. Building on the success of this operation Rob worked with the business and BT Fresca to deliver Harvey Nichols online shop in June 2007 and is now E-Commerce Manager responsible for Harvey Nichols’ online commercial operation and future strategy. Previously, Rob was responsible for all of Harvey Nichols Marketing online systems and Customer Relationship Management. Prior to joining Harvey Nichols, Rob was Systems Architect at House of Fraser delivering Year 2000 change and managing the company’s Applications Architecture. Rob started his career in Systems development and Project Management and then worked at Deloitte and Touche consulting prior to focussing on Retail in 1998.
Colum Joyce is the director of strategy for IMRWorld www.imrworld.org a company focused on the monitoring and reporting of global e-commerce. Colum spent 20 years with DHL and finished his career as the Global E-Business strategist. In 2006 he founded KBOR Research which provides research and analysis support to businesses globally.
Felicity Lewis is the Sr. Global Manager of Interactive and Direct Marketing at Jurlique. She has a wealth of integrated luxury CRM experience and previously headed up all integrated marketing and CRM efforts at David Yurman. She spent time with Cartier North America as their advertising manager. Felicity recently co-founded the Luxury CRM association and will share her real-life insights on integrated luxury CRM with you at Luxury Interactive.
Jean-Noël Kapferer is an internationally recognized authority on brands and brand management. A professor of marketing strategy at HEC Graduate School of Management in France, he holds a PhD from Northwestern University (USA) and is a consultant to many European and US corporations . He is the author of twelve books, including the international best seller "Strategic Brand Management", and "Reinventing the Brand", and most recently "The Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brands".
After graduating from Brown University, USA in 1994 with a BA (Hons) with distinction in Architectural Studies and Economics Zahra went onto gain an MBA in 1999 from the Harvard Business School Graduate School of Business Administration. During this time Zahra worked for J.P Morgan & Co and worked with senior management advising The Gillette Company on trends in the personal care market. In 1999 she took up the post of head of marketing for Richemont North America Inc. for the launch of Lancel, a brand of luxury leather goods. Where Zahra managed 40 staff and restructured the organisation brining a saving of $5 million. In January 2004 Zahra moved from the USA to work for Jaeger-LeCoultre, one of the rare remaining fully integrated watch manufacturers in the world. Zahra is the global director of retail and business development for the company. She is the youngest and only international member of the executive committee, with new activities generating 20% of incremental revenues for the company. Her role encompasses retail management and expansion, business development and strategic marketing, corporate strategy - developing the company's 10-year vision and e-business.
Mary Beth contributes to Forrester's research offerings for Marketing Leadership professionals. She lends a global point of view on the challenges facing marketers — increasingly fragmented media, the pervasiveness of new technologies, changing consumer behavior, and the growing accountability of marketing. Her current research touches marketing strategy, integrated and ubiquitous marketing, and the changes required of advertising and of agencies. Mary Beth is based in Paris. Before joining Forrester, Mary Beth spent more than 20 years as an international marketer, advising and coaching blue chip brands and organizations. She has worked on both the client and agency side. Mary Beth was CRM director at Dassault Systèmes, designing and championing its customer-centric business strategy. She also chalked up 10 years in the Ogilvy network, in Paris and New York. There, she developed interactive and relationship marketing strategies with Air France, IBM, Nestlé, and Unilever. She began her career in direct marketing, working with clients American Express and AT&T.
John McDonnell was appointed to his current position at Patrón Spirits International in January 2005 after several years overseeing international sales and marketing efforts at Joseph E. Seagram & Sons in various positions. As Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President, McDonnell is responsible for management of day-to-day activities of the corporation; monitoring the daily operations of the company and reporting to the Chief Executive Officer. Upon taking this role, McDonnell has helped the company grow from 340,000 cases when he started, to 1.7 million cases in 2008. He has also overseen international growth into more than 100 countries and islands worldwide, and recently helped close the company's acquisition of an ultra-premium vodka, Ultimat.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Fabrice has been at the heart of the modernization of the brand identity and of the definition and development of the online experience, drawing on his career in luxury marketing and development spanning more than 15 years and 3 continents.
His former responsibilities include being the worldwide Marketing Director at De Beers Jewellers and the global Director of Marketing and Development for Cartier watches.
Fabrice holds a BSc in software design and statistics as well as an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Fabrice speaks fluent French, English and Japanese and enjoys flying helicopters and is a keen photographer.
Cecilia is CEO of StyleTrek: Fueling Emerging Fashion through Social Commerce. She has a track record in launching and marketing successful e-commerce businesses. She has launched and marketed online stores for Nine West, Burberry, Frette, and La Perla.
She has experience in running and working for internet start-ups such as K2, RichFX, Abilon, and was CEO of BoutiqueY3K, an ecommerce consulting firm. After working at dot com start-ups Cecilia joined established multi-national luxury and fashion brands in senior and executive management positions and was involved in ecommerce, merchandising, marketing and operations for Burberry, Frette, and La Perla.
Cecilia was recognized in 1999 by Silicon Alley Reporter among the” Top 100 Internet Executives in NY.” Is among 96 executives in the book “Distinguished Asian- American Business People” published in 2004 and is on the advisory board of the Luxury Interactive Conference. She has been featured in WSJ, Asia WSJ, VOGUE, Asiaweek, BusinessWeek, Forbes Small Business, Entrepreneur, Advertising Age, E-commerce Times and was on CNN’s “Entrepreneurs Only.” She is a frequent speaker at conferences on E-commerce, Multi-channel Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
Milton F. Pedraza is the CEO of the Luxury Institute, LLC. Through the use of proprietary surveying techniques with high net worth consumers, Mr. Pedraza has established the New York-based Luxury Institute as the trusted and impartial global luxury brand ratings and research institution that is the voice of high net worth consumers. Today, luxury goods and services firms, luxury professionals, high net worth consumers, and the international press, all rely on the Institute for its impartial ratings and best practices insights on to how to better serve high net worth clients globally. Prior to founding the Luxury Institute, Milton served in Finance, Marketing, Sales and Senior Management positions at Fortune 100 companies Altria, Pepsico, Colgate, Citigroup and Wyndham Worldwide. He is an author and speaker at the world's foremost Financial Services, Travel and Leisure, Real Estate and Luxury Conferences. As an executive and private investor, Milton has conducted business in over seventy-five countries and speaks several languages.
Shenan Reed is a founding partner of Morpheus Media, a leading digital marketing agency based in New York. A fearless entrepreneur, Reed and her two partners started Morpheus on a shoestring budget, a wing and a prayer at the bottom of the dotcom crash in March 2001. With a deep background in data analytics from her early years at Bristol Meyers Squibb and Spectra Marketing, she understood that the accountability and agility of online media made all the difference. By applying the same diligence she used in managing and growing her startup to the rigorous process of researching, planning, strategizing and deploying online campaigns Reed new that she could consistently demonstrate quantifiably positive results even to the most skeptical of clients. Having now successfully launched dozens of top luxury brands online, Shenan has still, to her credit, yet to utter an I told you so.
Geoff van Sonsbeeck is Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Isabella Oliver, an award winning international luxury women’s fashion brand with its roots in designer maternity wear. The company launched in 2003, has been double digit profitable from year one. Isabella Oliver has already become the fastest growing and largest specialist maternity wear company in the UK. Having expanded into new geographic markets (US, Europe, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand), the company continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. This year, Isabella Oliver has expanded into another new market with its first non-maternity collection; aptly named Isabella Oliver 365. Before setting up his own company, Geoff obtained ten years of international blue chip experience at Heineken and Shell.
Kirsten essentially fell into the digital world and has never wanted to leave since. Currently working as the Web Operations Manager within Jumeirah Group has given her the opportunity to not only work with one of the worlds most innovative luxury brands but also to truly focus on online user experience which is absolutely paramount in the customer service industry.
Ronit Weinberg serves as the VP of E-commerce and Online Marketing for designer Diane von Furstenberg ("DVF"), where she is responsible for all aspects of strategic planning, management, operations and search marketing for the DVF's E-business division. Prior to the E-business position Mrs. Weinberg served as Director of Retail for DVF, where she is responsible for all aspects of strategic planning, management, and operations for the DVF retail stores, DVF's e-commerce division, and DVF's retail department store business. Mrs. Weinberg also oversaw the development of the redesigned DVF.com website, which resulted in a 300% increase in sales, and supervised all aspects of the relationship between DVF and Amazon and the current platform provider ATG. Prior to joining DVF, Mrs. Weinberg was the Global Strategic Business Planning Manager for Marc Jacobs Inc. from March 2000 until March 2004 and was one of the primary architects of the launch of the Marc by Marc Jacobs collection. Mrs. Weinberg's retail and wholesale experience also includes merchandise planning for the women's and men's divisions of Tommy Hilfiger, where she was promoted to Director of Retail Planning and Analysis for Hilfiger's upscale women's line in 1999. Prior to joining Tommy Hilfiger, Mrs. Weinberg was a Merchandise Buyer and Department Planner in a number of women's departments at Saks Fifth Avenue and an Assistant Buyer at Burdines in Miami, Florida.