Ingie Chalhoub, Founder & President of Etoile Group

One of the Middle East’s foremost style icons, Ingie Chalhoub is known for being a successful businesswoman a philanthropist and a Creative Director. She is also a fashion innovator who is constantly pushing the boundaries of high-end luxury fashion and has done so since the creation of Etoile Group when she opened her first ever Chanel boutique in the Gulf in 1983.

Since its inception almost forty years ago, Etoile Group has grown to become one of the highest profile names across the Middle East retail market. Fulfilling her vision to transform the luxury fashion sphere in the Middle East, Ingie has built a strong presence across the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Lebanon. Specializing in bringing luxury brands to the Middle East, Etoile Group operates many different pillars in partnership with Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Valentino, TOD’s, Etro, Aquazzura and Yamamay to name but a few, as well as the group’s own multi-brand store “Etoile La Boutique” spread across the region. Reinforcing omnichannels, the group launched “Etoile La Boutique” online store in 2020.

The accolades have followed from global media, with Ingie’s business and style acumen praised, deeming her ‘L’Officiel Woman Of The Year’, Emirates Woman’s ‘Woman of the Year’, ‘ELLE Business Woman of the Year’, and more. In February 2018, Ingie Chalhoub was knighted with the prestigious ‘Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur’ from France, an extraordinary achievement for her many years of dedication and her firm commitment to the diffusion of French luxury in both France and throughout the Middle East. More recently in 2022, she was awarded for her ‘Fashion Lifetime Achievements” at the Emi Gala Ceremony and recognized for her support in promoting sustainable brands by the President of Monaco Fashion Week. Ingie remains prominently ranked by CEO Middle East, Arabian Business and Forbes 100 in their lists for the Most Powerful Arab Women in the world to date.

Ingie is also involved in many humanitarian activities actively supporting research in breast cancer as an ambassador for the Pink Caravan organisation and the 10KSA project. She also supports Dubai Cares and actively contributes to their charity programmes across the Group. Ingie is a founding member of the UNICEF Leadership Circle, Gulf Region, She is a huge supporter of philanthropic work and known for her love for giving back to the community. Ingie continues to drive the Etoile Group forward with international expansion, deeper regional roots, and with a clear vision: to be the foremost Middle East leader in luxury retail and creativity.

Alessandro Valenti, CEO at GIVENCHY

Andreas Altmann
Founder and President of GIBERG

Antonio is a highly successful and internationally experienced CDO/CTO in the Consumer/Luxury Retail, Financial Services and Advertising. Having begun his career in software development and large-scale systems integration, he set-up his own Internet startup (namics, now part of Dentsu Aegis), one of the most successful Web and e-Commerce agency in the DACH region. He then progressed to the head of Online Retail Banking Technology at IBM in a major outsourcing program. After 3 years he joined the Richemont group and led the Digital Transformation of the group and its Maisons, setting the multi-channel technology platform, for advanced Retail and e-Commerce. In 2018, Antonio was appointed Chief Digital and Technology Officer of the independent watch company Breitling SA, where he was also a shareholder. In his role Antonio shaped and executed the company Digital and Technology strategy. Key contributor to the highly successful company turnaround under CVC Capital Partners ownership: double-digit growth and high profitability. As a result, CVC sold the company to Partners Group.

Antonio is a regular guest speaker to the IMD Business School (www.imd.org) Leading Digital and Technology Business Transformation programs and to international conferences and event about Digital, luxury, retail and technology. Since December September 2021, Antonio is a member of the Arianee Board of Directors.

Iris has a background in law and international relations. A sustainability pioneer, leadership executive and coalition-builder, with more than 20 years of global experience working in fast-paced environments including technology, diamonds, jewellery, fashion, and government. She has worked on the ground in factories and office environments across the world including Armenia, Africa, China, India, Israel, Japan, Thailand, Sri-Lanka,. USA. She initiated and Chaired the United Nations Global Compact Network Belgium. She was honoured by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs for her leadership role in initiating the Global Compact Network Belgium and for her work on promoting corporate social responsibility in Belgium and abroad with a focus on human rights including children’s rights and the role of business. Iris has been an Ambassador on the gender agenda for the jewellery industry, recently the WJI 2030 has launched a WEPs Campaign and working on gender procurement in partnership with UN Women. In July 2022 Iris was appointed as Executive Director & Secretary-General of the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030, co-founded by Kering & Cartier based at Maison de la Paix in Geneva. Under her leadership WJI 2030 focuses on creating measurable impact on climate resilience , nature , inclusiveness in collaboration with strategic partners including Global Compact, UN Women and ESG book, Iris has been an active volunteer for the Special Olympics for over 20 years and she ran the NY marathon for UNICEF. She is a Board Member of DIAMONDS DO GOOD.

Claudia D’Arpizio is a leading member of the firm’s global Consumer Products and Retail practices and leads Bain’s Luxury Goods vertical.

Claudia has advised multinational clients, mainly across luxury and fashion goods, for more than 24 years. She has extensively worked on issues relatied to corporate and business unit strategy, sales and marketing, product and service adjacencies, channel and omni-channel strategy, new product development, innovation, acquisitions and divestitures, performance improvement and organizational change.

Claudia is the lead author of Bain’s annual Luxury Goods Report, developed since 1999 in cooperation with Altagamma, one of the most cited sources of market information in the luxury industry.

Claudia is a globally recognized expert in the luxury sphere. In 2009, she was named one of the “Top 25 Consultants in the World” by Consulting Magazine and one of the “Top 100 Italian women leaders” by Forbes in 2019.

She is a frequent speaker and writer on luxury goods strategy and is extensively quoted in Italian and international media, including Il sole 24 ore, La Repubblica, Il Corriere della Sera, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times and The Economist.

Christa Rigozzi studied Media and Communication Science at the University of Fribourg and as a minor subject Criminal Law and Criminology at the University of Bern, with Bachelor degree. On September 9, 2006, Christa Rigozzi was crowned Miss Switzerland in Geneva. Thanks to her charm she was able to win so many appearances, advertising campaigns and TV commercials during the year that she wrote history as the most successful Miss Switzerland ever. Since then Christa Rigozzi has been contracted by renowned companies such as BVLGARI, Moët & Chandon, Ducati, Huawei, SBB and the Swatch Group, to name but a few.

Christina Frohn is leading the Enterprise Strategy & AI Value team for IBM Consulting in DACH. She is a based in Geneva, Switzerland.
She is collaborating with leaders at every level to guide digital transformations with AI. With over 10 years of experience in strategy consulting in several different industries, Christina helps our clients at IBM Consulting to unlock AI Value at scale with our ?hybrid by design? approach, shapes future-ready operating model design, brings in latest customer experiences, and enables organizations to adapt with the necessary change management in large transformations.
Picture: used the attached here.

Prior to joining Bonhams, Nouri was the CEO of the watch and jewellery company Piaget for seven years, and a private equity partner at the Mirabaud Group, a Swiss private bank. She also worked at Cartier for ten years in several positions, including management of its jewelry, watches, and retail merchandising.

copyright Ville de Genève

Born on 5 February 1981 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Christina Kitsos is Swiss and Greek. She is also the mother of two children. At the age of 13, she began her political involvment as a member of the Youth
Parliament.
Her convictions in favour of equality, social and climate justice; and for an open society based on solidarity, led her to join the Socialist Party 20 years ago. In the name of these values she became parliamentary assistant in Bern from 2007 to 2008, member of the Parliament of Neuchâtel from 2005 to 2008 and then the Parliament of the City of Geneva from 2015 to 2020.
In June 2020 she was elected in the Executive of the City of Geneva. Since her election, she is in charge of the Department of Social Cohesion and Solidarity. On 1 June 2024 she became Mayor of the City of Geneva.

Morin Oluwole is a luxury industry thought leader in digital transformation, business development and innovation. As Director & Global Head of Luxury at Meta (Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp), she led the global luxury division and managed multiple product and business teams for the past 17 years.

She was formerly Chief of Staff to the CMO, where she developed business strategies for global brand partners. In her prior roles, she led Product Marketing and Public Content Partnerships for the fashion and luxury sector. Prior, she led management consulting at Sachs Consulting in New York.

Morin has been featured in WWD twice, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Vogue Business, Business of Fashion, Forbes Afrique, Fashion Network, Journal du Luxe, CB News, L’Opinion, Stratégies, Luxus Plus, Luxury Daily, Luxury Society, France 24, Luxe Digital, The New York Times and Black Enterprise.
Morin has a very strong online following and is known for expressing expert points of view on Business, Africa, Entrepreneurship, Mentorship, Lifestyle, Innovation. She has been named as a LinkedIn Top Voice, showcasing the value of her insights for the LinkedIn community.
Morin is on the Board of Directors of Biologique Recherche and Breitling and on the Innovation Council for One&Only Resorts. She was born and raised in Nigeria, speaks four languages (English, French, Spanish and Yoruba) and has lived in the US, UK, and Nigeria.

Morin holds a BA and MA from Stanford University in Human Biology and Sociology and an MA in Business Management from Columbia University. She was a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar and received the Stanford Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence – both for 5 consecutive years.

Morin currently resides in Paris.

Bio:
Nathalie Vranken
Directrice Générale Déléguée at
Vranken-Pommery-Monopole

Kim Phan
Global Strategic Brand Success Director at eBay

Bio:
Laetitia Roche-Grenet is a graduate of University Paris Dauphine and holds an MBA from Fordham University, New York. Laetitia Roche-Grenet started her career in Sales & Marketing, working for Ella Baché, L’Oréal and then Cartier in New York. After several experiences in Marketing, After Sales Services, CRM and Retail Operation at Cartier in New York and then Paris, Laetitia Roche-Grenet joined LVMH in 2012 as Europe General Manager of Fred Jewelry. Laetitia Roche-Grenet has moved to the LVMH Holding as the Business Synergies Director in 2016. She then built the Open Innovation department of the LVMH Group.

Bio:
Passionate about purposeful brand-building, I’m a multilingual marketing leader with over 15 years of global experience in luxury and lifestyle. With a proven ability to drive positive change, I work with international teams to create premium, memorable and impactful experiences that trigger growth and inspire consumers.

Across brand projects — both internally and externally — I leverage strategic, integrated and multichannel brand marketing, with a focus on digital innovation and the possibilities of web3. I’m also passionate about building a more sustainable future of fashion.

Michael Chalhoub is the President of Strategy, Growth, Innovation & Investment and of the Joint
Venture department for Chalhoub Group, the leading partner for luxury across the Middle East. Within its portfolio of joint ventures are partnerships with Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Sephora, Coty, Puig, and Havas.

Michael is an entrepreneur at heart and has launched several startups – including Sport360, one of the leading media groups in the GCC, which has grown to a 75-person business generating over 10M USD annual revenues in just 4 years under his helm. He also helped kickstart a number of ventures out of the Harvard Innovation Labs.

Michael started his career in corporate finance at L’Oreal USA. He then moved into consulting, in the TMT sector, helping US corporates explore new market expansion opportunities in Latin America. Michael also managed Michael Kors in the Middle East and was in charge of international expansion and revenues at Olympique de Marseille.

Michael is a Baker Scholar at the Harvard Business School, where he obtained his MBA. He also holds a Masters in Finance and in International Affairs from the Paris Dauphine University.

Max is a serial entrepreneur with a successful track record spanning over 25 years and a passion for creating digital products for luxury brands and enterprise clients.

Milena Klasing Chen works in Audemars Piguet’s CEO Office, where she is in charge of Innovation Management on diversification and brand protection. She holds a PhD in innovation management and has 12 years experience in the domain, working in different industries and international organizations.

Degree in Law and Science; Master’s in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. Over 44 years’ experience in international work, largely based in Europe. Initially, nominated by Ministry of Commerce, Government of India as India’s Representative to UNITED NATIONS-IPS, Paris and Zurich. 1995 Director, Europe, CII, Cologne, Germany. CEO of Deutsche Bank subsidiary. Since 2004, Managing Director, Europe, Reliance Europe. Member, Supervisory Board, Innoplexus AG. International Industry Arbitrator. Frequent guest lecturer at European management schools. Op-Ed Columnist. Author of 5 books. Keynote speaker. Expertise: India & EU market entry strategies, cross-cultural trainer in aspects of doing business, M&A transactions, joint ventures, legal contract negotiations, FDI and technical collaborations.

Nina Skol is the Director and General Manager of US Luxury for eBay, where she oversees the growth and strategic direction of the luxury segment. Her 20- year career includes roles at Saks Fifth Avenue, various renowned brands, and Tech, across retail stores and the digital space. She has a passion for the intersection of fashion and technology, and excels in leading teams of all sizes to achieve growth and success. Based in the New York City area, Nina thrives on the dynamic challenges of the luxury market and continually seeks innovative ways to drive the industry forward on a global scale with an emphasis on sustainability.

Rajesh is a seasoned technology leader passionate about tackling new challenges and advancing technology. With a strong engineering background, he began his career in the technology sector in 2006 as a consultant. Over the years, Rajesh has gained extensive experience in digital technology, data applications, platforms, and architecture through his work at Syngenta, Glencore, Nespresso SA, Kering Group, and Novartis. In 2020, he joined Breitling to spearhead the brand’s digital transformation journey.

Serge Maillard
Publisher at Europa Star HBM SA

STEFANIA LAZZARONI, CEO, ALTAGAMMA

CEO of Fondazione Altagamma since 2013, she is a member of the executive team and coordinates the Foundation’s activities.

Created in 1992, Fondazione Altagamma gathers Italy’s High-End Cultural and Creative Companies, recognized globally as authentic ambassadors of Italian style. With more than 140 members and partners in the fields of fashion, design, jewellery, food, hospitality, automotive and yachting. Altagamma’s mission is to boost growth for its partners, thus making an effective contribution to the Italian economy. The Foundation’s activities include promoting the luxury sector and Italian industry in general, building relationships with Institutions, creating strategic marketing projects for companies and promotings talents, professionals and craftmanship.

Prior to Altagamma, she held top management positions in Corporate communications, Social Responsibility and Crisis Management at both Italian and multinational companies including Viacom Group, Coca-Cola, Discovery Networks e and 24 ORE Group.