- What were you doing before you joined the MBA in International Luxury Brand Management program?
Before I enrolled into the program I was a Senior Marketing Specialist in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods category in South Africa. I have had an 11 year marketing career, working for a number of exciting brands across different industries to diversify my experience.- Why did you decide to join the MBA?
Having spent my career in the FMCG world, I felt that this MBA would broaden my knowledge of the luxury sector as well as provide me with general and operational management knowledge through the variety of courses offered. ESSEC is perfectly placed close to the most prestigious luxury brands, with strong partnerships with LVMH & L’Oréal, to name a few, and so who better to learn from than the industry leaders? The luxury industry has always been an interest of mine, but I wanted to get an in-depth knowledge and hands on experience before I jumped into it.
- What do you hope to achieve throughout the year?
So far I have experienced a diverse in-depth look at various facets of the luxury industry, taught by a high caliber of knowledgeable experts in a diverse fields within luxury. In addition, we have had the pleasure of meeting numerous industry leaders, who have shared their knowledge and expertise on what it takes to create, build and manage a luxury brand through all the different challenges that are presented. So I hope that the year comes with more of those experiences. I anticipate that the year will get even more challenging and interesting, but at the end of it I will leave with a wealth of knowledge and rich experience that I would not get anywhere else.
- What are your professional goals after you finish the MBA?
I see myself as an integral part of the crafting and shaping of the luxury industry in key emerging markets, especially focusing on Africa, to develop the continent to compete with established luxury markets. I would like to facilitate narrowing “the gap” of luxury brands in emerging markets. There is so much potential that exists with new luxury brands within emerging markets but there is little expertise to grow these brands, and simultaneously there is a need for insight and knowledge of the various markets to enable the currently established luxury brands to enter.
In a nutshell, this is what I see myself accomplishing in the next phase of my career with the experience and networks that I will acquire from this program.
- What advice would you give to someone who is applying to the program?
The most profound advice that I received coming into this program was for me to be prepared for a challenging year that requires a lot of hard work. So far it has been the most interesting immersion into the luxury world, but it certainly requires so much focus and effort from me in order to get the best out of the program.
The second advice I would give to someone interested in this program is that it’s important to have an idea of what you would like to achieve with this program. Have an idea of what your personal mission is, and use this program to give clarity, shape and direction to that. Unfortunately, It doesn’t happen the other way round. This will help provide the motivation and sense of purpose you need when you take on the program.
