Speakers
Please find below the list of the confirmed speakers as per date, in alphabetical order:
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Mr Jean-Claude Biver Mr Biver started his career by Audemars Piguet in 1975 in sales and marketing. In 1980, he joined Omega as gold products manager. In 1982, he and his friend Jacques Piguet, bought the Blancpain name which had been dormant since 1961. He quickly revived the company and increased the turnover to 50 million Swiss francs. In 1992 he decided to sell Blancpain to the SMH Group and joined Nicolas G. Hayek’s management team. As a member of the Swatch Group's Management Committee, he was given the task of developing the marketing and products for the Omega brand. In 2004, he decided to take over the leadership of Hublot Geneva as CEO. The turnover increased in 4 years from 25 million to more than 200 million Swiss francs in 2008, when the brand was sold to LVMH. Mr Biver received many awards: in 2005, he received the best design award at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève for the new Big Bang chronograph. In 2007, he was named ‘Best watchmaking manager’ and ‘Best watchmaking communicator’ by the magazine Business Montres. In 2008, he was voted ‘CEO of the Year’ at the Premier watches, jewellery and pens awards in Bahrain. In 2008, the Swiss PME Magazine crowned him ‘Leader of the Year’. In 2009 he was voted ‘Man of the Year’ by the Italian magazine Orologi da Polso, the French magazines Revue des Montres & Business Montres and the Swiss magazine GMT. He received the 2010 Gaia Award in the Entrepreneurship category as well as the Jury Special Award at the Luxury and Creation Talents in Paris. In 2011, he received a Caesar Award in Bucharest. |
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Mr Vincent Boinay Mr Boinay started his career in 1992 at L’Oréal Luxe where he held various management positions. In Travel Retail first, where he became Managing Director Europe; in 2000 he was appointed International Development Director for Lancôme; in 2004 he took over the General Management of Biotherm, Cacharel & Guy Laroche France. Mr Boinay then made a comeback to look after the Travel Retail as Worldwide Managing Director. In 2008, he was appointed Vice President at Nihon L’Oréal KK (Japan) in charge of the Luxury Division. In 2012, he came back to Paris where he took over the newly created position of Global Retail Director of L’Oréal Luxe to drive the Worldwide Retail Development of the Luxury Division. Mr Boinay is a graduate of ESCP Business School. |
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Mr Cem Boyner Mr Boyner has been with the group for 34 years since he joined textiles manufacturing company Altınyıldız in 1978. Under his leadership, the group evolved into an international retail and services group. Mr Boyner has always been involved in non-governmental organizations througout his business career. He is the former president of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TUSIAD). Mr Boyner chairs the Advisory Board of the non-profit mentoring program 'More Women in Boardroom' and serves as the member of Board of Directors of The National Retail Federation (NRF). He studied Business Administration at Robert College/Bogazici University in Istanbul. |
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Mr Armando Branchini Mr Branchini has been the Executive Director of Fondazione Altagamma, the body representing Italian Luxury Companies and Brands, since its creation in 1992. He is Chairman of the Board of InterCorporate, a consultancy specializing in business development and strategic marketing of luxury brands. Mr Branchini is President of ECCIA Executive Team, the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance composed of the five major European luxury goods and creative industries organizations: Circulo Fortuny (Spain), Comité Colbert (France), Fondazione Altagamma (Italy), Meisterkreis (Germany),Walpole British Luxury (UK). He is a professor of Business Strategy and Management of Luxury Companies at Bocconi University in Milan, after teaching at IULM University in Milan and Bologna University. |
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Mr Bernie Brookes Mr Brookes was appointed CEO and Managing Director of Myer in June 2006. He has led the development and implementation of the Myer five-point strategic plan, repositioning the business to meet today’s challenges. He has spent over 36 years working within the retail industry in local and international roles in India and China. Prior to joining Myer, he was a Management Director of Woolworths and was a chief architect of Woolworths’ Project Refresh, which reduced costs by more than $5 billion over five years and reinvested these savings back into the business. His Woolworths experience also included a variety of general management positions in the Buying, IT, Marketing and Operations departments. Mr Brookes has also held a number of roles as president and executive of various industry organizations including Retail Traders Association in Queensland and Victoria and President of the Queensland Grocery Association, and he has assisted on a number of charitable and government ventures and committees. He is currently a director of the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army. Mr Brookes has received many awards, including Food Week Retail Executive of the Year, National Retail Association Food Industry Executive of the Year and Food Week Buyer of the Year for four years during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also awarded the Sir Charles McGrath Award for Marketing Excellence – 2012 at the Australian Marketing Institute Awards. He is currently patron of the Australian Joe Berry Memorial Award and the Australian representative judge of the World Retail Awards. He is also a Member of the Advisory Board of First Unity Financial Group. Mr Brookes holds Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Education degrees from Macquarie University. |
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Mr Aymo Brunetti Mr Brunetti is Full Professor for Economic Policy and Regional Economics at the Department of Economics of the University of Bern. He is also Director of the Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED) at the University of Bern. He studied economics at the University of Basel where he was awarded a doctorate in 1992 and qualified for teaching as a university professor in 1996. From 1994 to 1995 he spent a year as visiting scholar at the Department of Economics at Harvard University. From 1997 to 1999 he was a visiting professor at the University of Saarland in Saarbrücken, Germany. Mr Brunetti also did consultancy work for the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. In 1999 he joined the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs where he first headed the Economic Policy Division of the Federal Office of Economic Development and Labour. In the same year he became member of the board of the newly founded State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and headed its Economic Analysis Division. From 2003 to 2012 he was head of the Economic Policy Directorate at SECO. In February 2012 he took up his current position at the University of Bern. |
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Mr Patrick Chalhoub Mr Chalhoub began his career in 1979 when he decided to become involved in the realization of his father’s vision to build a bridge between the East and West and be the ambassador of luxury lifestyle in the region. He created a regional distribution platform in the Jebel Ali Free zone and has increased the number of partnerships with major international groups such as Coty, Fendi, L’Oréal, Dior Parfums and Puig. A director of Christofle and of Bernardaud, Patrick Chalhoub is also involved in the strategic planning for the restructuring and redeployment of these brands. For nearly 30 years, Mr Chalhoub has been fully involved in the strategic development of the business to guarantee its long-term success. At the age of 42, the French government awarded him with the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite. He is a founding member of the Rotary and Capital Club and also an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Mr Chalhoub holds 2 Bachelor’s degrees, one in Economics and Finance and the other in Political Science |
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Mr Preecha Ekkunagul During his 25 years in the industry, Mr Ekkunagul has held top-level management positions within various retail segments i.e. convenience stores, hypermarkets, specialty stores and department stores. Since 2003, he has led Robinson Department Store Pcl, acting as President/Director/Executive Director. Mr Ekkunagul has been instrumental in the restructuring, reorganizing and growth of the company. He has strengthened its structures both in performance efficiency and financial status, turning Robinson Department Stores Thailand into a Modern and LifeStyling shopping destination. Mr Ekkunagul received his Bachelor Degree in Chemical Engineering from Chulalongkorn University and Master Degree in Industrial Engineering & Management from The Asian Institute of Technology. |
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Mr Andrew Jennings Mr Jennings is a highly accomplished global retail executive with more than 39 years of achievement at some of the world’s most respected high-end, speciality stores including Harrods and House of Fraser in London, Brown Thomas in Ireland, Holt Renfrew in Canada and Saks Fifth Avenue in USA. He is currently CEO at Karstadt - the iconic 132-year old German retail group - with 112 stores in Germany, including KaDeWe in Berlin. This is a €4bn business in the process of undergoing major changes to make it more relevant to its existing and future customers. Before joining Karstadt in 2011, he completed a 3-year assignment resulting in the successful turnaround of Woolworths, South Africa, a US$2.8B business with 400 stores appealing to the mid/premium market. Recognized for his leadership capabilities and performance-driven management style, Andrew Jennings commands a vast knowledge of consumer trends, vendor networks and retail practices in mature and emerging markets. He has distinguished himself in senior executive positions in six countries and on four continents. |
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Ms Asli Karadeniz Ms Karadeniz started her professional career at Arthur Andersen & Co. Istanbul, where she worked as a consultant during 4 years. She then joined Citibank N.A. Istanbul during 5 years. Ms Karadeniz joined Boyner Group in April 1995 and served as the Chief Financial Officer (1995 – 1999) and then as General Manager for Benetton Turkey (1999 – 2002). In December 2002 she was appointed CEO of Boyner Büyük Magazacılık (Boyner Department Stores). Ms Karadeniz completed her high school education at Robert College in 1982. She graduated from the Faculty of Business Administration at Bosphorus University with a double major in marketing and finance in 1986. |
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Mr Terry Lundgren Mr Lundgren assumed his current titles in January 2004. Prior to this, he was named President & CEO in 2003 and President & Chief Merchandising Officer in 1997. He began his retailing career in 1975 as a trainee with Bullock’s, a division of Federated, where he held positions of increasing responsibility over the next decade in buying, store management, human resources. In 1987, he was named President and CEO of Bullocks Wilshire, then an upscale chain of specialty department stores owned by Federated. Lundgren left Federated after its acquisition by the Campeau Corporation in 1988, joining Neiman Marcus, where he became Chairman and CEO. He returned to Federated in April of 1994 as Chairman and CEO of the Federated Merchandising Group. Mr Lundgren is a graduate of the University of Arizona where he gave the commencement address to the graduating class of 2000 and was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He is an active supporter of The Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing at the University of Arizona. He was also awarded the honorary Doctor of Commercial Sciences degree from Suffolk University in 2001. Mr Lundgren has been appointed Commissioner on Women’s Economic Development by the Mayor of New York. He has been presented with many business recognition awards and has served as dinner chairman or as honoree for numerous retail industry organizations and charities, including Carnegie Hall, the Fresh Air Fund, American Jewish Committee, Breast Cancer Research Fund, NOW Legal Defense, Parsons School, Fashion Institute of Technology and the Ovarian Cancer Society. Mr Lundgren currently serves on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Kraft Foods Inc., Carnegie Hall and United Way of New York City. He serves on the executive committee of the Economic Club of New York and is involved with the New York City Principal for a Day Program. |
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Mr Ian Moir Mr Moir is the CEO of Woolworths, one of South Africa’s leading retailers of quality food and clothing, with some 448 stores across sub-Saharan Africa. Woolworths also owns the 517-store Australian fashion retailer Country Road, which operates the iconic Country Road, Witchery, Trenery and Mimco fashion & accessories labels across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. Prior to joining Woolworths in 2010, Mr Moir has been the CEO of Country Road for 10 years, where he oversaw the modernization and expansion of the brand. Before joining Country Road, he spent 10 years as Operations Director at Woolmark, the world’s leading wool textile organization. Mr Moir has an MBA from the University of London and a Masters degree in Economics and Accounting. |
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Mr Ahmet Öksüz Mr Öksüz is the Member of the Board of Kipaş Holding and CEO of Lee Cooper Turkey. He started his career in 1993 at Kipaş Holding, one of Turkey’s largest groups involved in textiles, cement, energy, paper and agriculture. The Holding has 8.000 employees and makes over USD 1 billion turnover. Between 1999 and 2011, he was Member of Board of Directors and Vice President of ITKIB (Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters Association). He took also the Presidency of the Assembly of Apparel Sector of TOBB (Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey). Mr Öksüz is a member of the Turkey-USA business council of the Ministry of Economy. He graduated from Kabataş High School and studied Mechanical Engineering at Yıldız Technical University; he pursued his education in the University of Florida. |
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Mr Torben Paulin Mr Paulin joined BoConcept in 1994, where he held senior positions as Managing Director of the German branch and Sales Manager of BoConcept before becoming in 2012 the CEO of the company. Prior to this, he was the Export Manager Germany of Plus Garden System, a company where he gathered an international expertise in Denmark, Norway, England and Germany during his 10 years tenure. Mr Paulin is also Chairman of Olitec A/S, Board Member of Merton A/S, Member of VL group 25 and a Board Member of network Asnet. |
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Mr Martin Raymond Mr Raymond is editor-in-chief of LS:N Global, the online global lifestyle news and consumer insight network for the retail, luxury, technology, food, alcohol and hospitality sectors. He has written and co-edited several books, including crEATe (Gestalten) and The Tomorrow People: Future Consumers and How to Read Them Today (Financial Times Prentice Hall), and The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook, now a standard text book used by brands, business and universities in the UK, and Scandinavia. Mr Raymond is also a contributing editor for Wired UK, and a fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). |
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Mr Steve Sadove Mr Sadove joined the management team of Saks Incorporated as Vice Chairman in 2002. In 2004, he assumed the additional post of Chief Operating Officer of the Company and in 2006 the position of CEO. In 2007 he became Chairman and CEO of Saks Incorporated. Mr Sadove has been on the Company’s Board of Directors since September 1998 and on the board of Saks Holdings, Inc. from 1996 until its 1998 merger with the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Mr Sadove built a distinguished marketing and consumer products career spanning over 25 years. Between 1975 and 1991, he held various positions of increasing responsibility with General Foods USA, including Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Desserts Division. He joined Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in 1991 as President of Clairol. In 1994, he was appointed President, Worldwide of Clairol. In 1996 he was named President of Bristol-Myers Squibb Worldwide Beauty Care. Mr Sadove is a graduate of Hamilton College and holds an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. He is also a recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Commercial Science Degree from LIM College. He currently serves on numerous community and civic boards including Hamilton College, A Better Chance and National Retail Federation as well as the public company boards of Ruby Tuesday and Colgate-Palmolive. |
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Mr Christopher Sanderson Mr Sanderson is responsible for delivering the company’s extensive global roster of conferences, media events and in-house briefings. Clients include the Gucci Group, the European Travel Commission, Retail Week, Selfridges, M&S, Chanel, Woolworths SA, Harrods, Aldo, H&M, General Motors, BBDO, and Omnicom. Mr Sanderson recently presented Channel 4 TV’s five part series Home of the Future. He co-writes a monthly column for Luxury Briefing and is a SuperBoard member of The British Fashion Council’s Fashion Trust. |
