Speakers
Please find below the list of the confirmed speakers as per date, in alphabetical order:
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Mr Bernie Brookes Mr Brookes was appointed Managing Director and CEO of the Myer Group in 2006. In his role, he has been responsible for the transition of Myer following the separation from the Coles Group and for rebuilding the Myer business under new ownership. Mr Brookes has spent 34 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 chief architect of ‘Project Refresh’. He 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. Mr Brookes is currently the patron of the Australian Joe Berry Memorial Award, judge of the World Retail Awards and a member of the Advisory Board of the First Unity Financial Group. He has also held a number of roles as president and executives of various industry organisations, charitable and government ventures and committees. He is currently an Advisory member of the Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory Board. He holds a BA and Diploma of Education degrees from Macquarie University. |
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Mr Yves Carcelle Mr Carcelle started his retail career in 1970 as Product Manager at Spontex before becoming Marketing and Sales Director at Blenda Pharm Laboratory in 1974. He was appointed Director of the Absorba Division in 1979 and President of Descamps in 1985. Mr Carcelle joined LVMH as Strategic Director in 1989 and became Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton in 1990. He is a Board member of several fashion companies of Groups such as Berluti, Marc Jacobs or Fendi. He is also a Board member of the Comité Colbert and the Palais de Tokyo. Mr Carcelle was appointed as Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 2004 and Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2010. He was educated at Ecole Polytechnique and holds an MBA from INSEAD. |
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Mr Paolo De Cesare Mr De Cesare started his professional career in 1983 at Procter & Gamble where he held various management positions all over the world during his 24 years tenure. In 1994 he became Managing Director-Vice-President of Cosmetic & Skin Care Europe, Middle East & Africa, based in London; in 1999 he was appointed President of Max Factor Japan and Vice President of Procter & Gamble Northeast Asia Skin Care & Cosmetics, based in Japan; in 2002 he was named President of Global Prestige Beauty and Skin Care, based in Switzerland. Since September 2007, Mr De Cesare has been the CEO and Chairman of Printemps. He is an independent Board member of Indesit Company in Italy and the Vice President Europe of the Executive Board of Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS). He graduated in Business and Economics cum laude at the University of Rome in 1983. |
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Datuk Alfred Cheng Mr Cheng is the Group Managing Director and CEO of the Parkson Retail Group. He has been with the Group since its inception and was a member of the founding management team in 1987. He has been instrumental in developing the Parkson franchise in Malaysia and China and more recently, was responsible for its push into Indonesia and Vietnam. He has been the Head of Parkson Retail since 1996 and the main driver behind its rapid growth in the last 15 years. Today, Parkson has 102 stores across the 4 countries of Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Indonesia and serves more than 100 million customers a year, generating a gross turnover of more than RM 11.0 billion last financial year. The Parkson Group has two listed Companies on the HKEX and SGX for their China and Southeast Asian businesses respectively. |
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Mr Tos Chirathivat Mr Chirathivat started his retail career in 1989 as Project Development Director at Central Pattana PLC. In 1992 he became CEO of Big C Supercenter PLC, pioneering a new retail format in Thailand. In 1996 he was nominated to Chief Operating Officer of Central Retail Corporation Ltd, responsible for all operations and management of all retail business units within Central Retail, including Central Department Store, ZEN Department Store, Robinson Department Store, Power Buy, Supersport, Marks & Spencer, Office Depot, B2S, HomeWorks, Central Online, Big C Supercenter, Tops Supermarket, Carrefour. In 2002 he was elected CEO of Central Retail Corporation Ltd, with 500 stores nationwide, around 22,000 employees and almost US$ 3,300 billion in sales in 2010. Mr Chirathivat is currently the Director of the Board of Central Group of Companies. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the Wesleyan University, CT and a MBA from Columbia University, NY. |
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Mr Michael Dart Mr Dart is a senior partner at retail and consumer products consultancy Kurt Salmon and leads the firm’s private equity and strategy practice. He also co-authored The New Rules of Retail, a guide to succeeding in the modern retail environment. In his more than twenty years of consulting, Michael has worked with many leading retailers, consumer products companies and private equity firms. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, global and national media, and trade journals. Consulting magazine recognized Michael as one of its Top 25 Consultants of 2010. |
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Mr Paul Delaoutre Mr Delaoutre started his professional career in 1978 as Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble. In 1981, he joined Mars Incorporated where he held various senior positions before becoming Vice President Southern Europe in 1996. He left Mars to become Chairman & CEO of La Redoute in 1999. Mr Delaoutre joined Galeries Lafayette in 2003 as CEO of Galeries Lafayette Department Stores and in 2005 he was named Chairman & CEO of BHV and Galeries Lafayettes Department Stores. He is a graduate of ESSEC Business School. |
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Mr Richard Girardot Before joining Nestlé, Mr Girardot held various senior executives positions at Alsacienne Biscuits, Ducros and Perrier where he was Marketing Director France. In 1992, he became Sales & Marketing Director France of Nestlé Waters where he was promoted to SVP Marketing & Communications and then in 2003 he became CEO of the company. Since 2007 he has been named CEO of Nestlé Nespresso S.A. |
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Mr Andrew Richard Jennings Mr Jennings has enjoyed a 38-year-long international career in the retail business. Before he started at the Karstadt group in January 2011, he had held leading roles at Harrods and House of Fraser (Great Britain), Brown Thomas (Ireland), Holt Renfrew (Canada) and Saks Fifth Avenue (USA). In 2009 he successfully completed a three year turnaround assignment of Woolworths-Retail, South Africa, a US$2.8bn business with 400 stores appealing to the mid/premium market. His current position is CEO of the Karstadt Group, the iconic German retail brand, a €3.5bn business which was purchased by Nicolas Berggruen in 2010. Based in Essen, Germany, Andrew’s mandate is to make Karstadt more relevant to its existing and future customers. Mr Jennings has distinguished himself in senior positions in central buying, marketing and store operations in some of the world’s most respected high-end, speciality stores in five countries and four continents. |
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William P. Lauder Mr Lauder became Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors in July 2009. He was CEO from July 2004 through June 2009. During his five-year tenure as chief executive, he expanded the Company’s international presence and distribution channels and greatly strengthened the brand portfolio. He joined the Company in 1986 as Regional Marketing Director of Clinique USA, in the New York metro area. In 1990 he led the creation of the Origins brand and its innovative store-within-a store concept. He subsequently was promoted to several senior leadership positions; he led the worldwide businesses for Clinique and Origins and oversaw the Company’s free-standing stores and Internet business. In 2003 he became Chief Operating Officer, with oversight of all the Company’s global operations, as well as nine specialty brands and the retail business. Prior to joining the Company, Mr Lauder completed Macy’s Executive Training Program in New York City and was Associate Merchandising Manager of the New York Division/Dallas store when it opened in 1985. He is a member of the Boards of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and The Trinity School in New York City, his alma maters. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Fresh Air Fund, a member of the Boards of Directors of the Jarden Corporation, the 92nd Street Y and the Partnership for New York City and the Advisory Board of Zelnick Media. |
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Mr Richard Lepeu Mr Lepeu started his career in 1975 as an investment banker at Rotschild in Paris. He joined Cartier in 1979 as Assistant to the Secretary General and President and was subsequently promoted to the position of Secretary General in 1981. In 1993, he became Director of Finance, Administration and Industry and in 1995, Managing Director. He was nominated as CEO of Cartier in 1998, a position he held until 2001. In 2001, Mr Lepeu was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Richemont. He was nominated as Group Finance Director of Richemont in 2004 and was appointed to the Board of Directors of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA. In 2010, he was appointed Deputy CEO of Richemont. Mr Lepeu is a graduate of Paris Institute of Political Studies and the University of Paris X where he studied Economics. |
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Mr Steven Lowy Mr Lowy was appointed Managing Director of Westfield Holdings Limited in 1997 and currently serves as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Westfield Group. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of NSW. Prior to joining Westfield in 1987, Mr Lowy worked in investment banking in the US. He is President of the Board of Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Chairman of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, a Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, a member of the Prime Minister's Business-Government Advisory Group on National Security and Chairman of the Board of Management for the Associate Degree of Policing Practice NSW (ADPP). |
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Mr Tsutomu Okuda Mr Okuda joined Daimaru in 1964. In 1987 he became Manager of Merchandising Administration Division at the Head Office of The Daimaru, Inc. In 1990 he was named Manager of Daimaru Australia Planning Office and promoted to Managing Director of Daimaru Australia Pty. Ltd. in 1991. In 1995 he returned to the Head Office of The Daimaru, Inc to become Director and General Manager of Corporate Strategy; he held various senior positions in the company and became Chairman and CEO of The Daimaru, Inc. in 2003. In 2007 he was promoted to President and CEO of J. Front Retailing Co., Ltd. and Chairman of The Daimaru, Inc. In 2010 he became Chairman and CEO of J. Front Retailing Co., Ltd. Mr Okuda is a graduate from the Faculty of Law, Keio University. |
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Mr Chris Papachristophorou Mr Papachristophorou is a Managing Director and Global Head of RREEF Opportunistic Investments (ROI). Since its inception in 1991, ROI has completed 246 investments in 32 countries investing in excess of $5bn of capital. It currently manages 2 Global Funds with an AUM of $5.2bn. Mr Papachristophorou received a BSc in economics from the London School of Economics and an MSC from the Business School of Bocconi in Italy. |
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Mr Peter Partma Mr Partma joined IKEA Russia in 1999 where he held numerous positions in the organization and ended up as head of IKEA Russia. In 2004 he joined Kingfisher as Country Manager in charge of setting up Kingfisher Russia under the brand of Castorama. Since 2007, he has been a Partner at RPGF Asset Management, Russia, in charge of Asset Management Services within Real Estate Development. Since 2008 he is also the Chairman of the board of TSUM, the largest department store in Russia, supporting and executing the development and overall strategy. He is a member of the Board of AAA Motors, Russia. Mr Parma holds an Executive MBA in General Management from Lund University Sweden. |
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Mr Philip Shearer Mr Shearer is bringing over 30 years of vast, international experience in the luxury cosmetics and fragrance sector. He started out in the cosmetics industry in 1980 at Eli-Lilly then owner of Elizabeth Arden. He held various positions at Elizabeth Arden between 1980 and 1987 both in France and in the USA, before becoming director of the company’s Mexican subsidiary. In 1988 he joined L’Oréal where he held senior positions in the UK, Japan and USA where he was appointed General Manager of Lancôme USA. In 1998 he created the Luxury Division at L’Oréal and became its President. From 1998 to 2001, Mr Shearer was Chairman of the Fragrance Foundation. In 2011 he took over the International Division at Estée Lauder where he succeeded in opening up the Chinese and Russian markets. In 2002, he was appointed Group President in charge of the Clinique and Origins brands and online activities. In 2006, Mr Shearer was elected to the Board of Directors of Bacardi. In 2007 he left Estée Lauder to become CEO of Clarins. Mr Shearer is a graduate from Sciences Po in Paris and earned an MBA from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, NY. |
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Mr Andy Street Mr Street has spent all his working life in the John Lewis Partnership, joining after graduating from Oxford with a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in 1985. After initial postings in the John Lewis department stores, he ran one of the Partnership’s production facilities before returning to the department stores as Managing Director, John Lewis Milton Keynes in 1993. He was the first Managing Director of John Lewis Bluewater from 1998 to 2000 when he moved to Head Office as Supply Chain Director, John Lewis. He was appointed to the Partnership Board as Director of Personnel in 2002. In that role he was responsible for all areas of personnel policy within the Partnership as well as senior talent management. In February 2007 Mr Street became Managing Director of the John Lewis Division, responsible for all activities within John Lewis. Mr Street is also Vice Chairman of The Performances Birmingham Limited Board of Trustees, member of the London First Board, member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group and also recently appointed Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). |
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Mr Cyrille Vigneron Mr Vigneron joined Cartier International in April 1988. He was appointed President of Cartier Japan in 1997 and then President of Richemont Japan between 2002 and 2005. He is currently Managing Director of Cartier Europe. Mr Vigneron is a graduate of Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris. |
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Mr Robert T. Wallstrom In 2007, Mr Wallstrom became President of Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH and Executive Vice President in 2010. He led the transformation of Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH to a leading position in the luxury off-price channel. Previously he held the position of Group Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Saks Fifth Avenue full-line iconic flagship store in New York City from 2002-2007. Mr Wallstrom’s distinguished retail career spans over 28 years. During his department store tenure he led various store transformations and renovations. He held various store line positions with a couple of Department Stores before joining the Saks Fifth Avenue in 1995. In 1995, Mr Wallstrom joined Saks as Assistant General Manager in Beverly Hills, CA and opened the first free standing Men’s Store. In 1997, he was appointed General Manager, San Antonio, TX, and later, Vice President in 1999. In 2001, he was appointed Vice President, General Manager, Houston, TX. Wallstrom received his B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from San Diego, CA State University. He currently serves on community and civic boards such as the LIM Fashion Education Foundation (LIMFEF) in NY. |
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Ms Alannah Weston As well as being a director of Selfridges & Co, Ms Weston is a director of the Selfridges Group Ltd and Wittington Investments Ltd, Canada. She is also a Director of Selfridges’ sister companies Holt Renfrew, Canada and Brown Thomas Ltd., Ireland. Ms Weston started her professional career in journalism: she joined the Telegraph Magazine in London after university and was a freelance journalist for British Vogue, Tatler, and The Spectator. In 1988 she joined Burberry’s Press Officer and worked with the Burberry team for two years. In 2001, she became Creative Director of Windsor, a unique residential and sporting enclave in Vero Beach, Florida. In 2003, Ms Weston formed Zephyr Projects Ltd, a boutique branding and design agency. In May 2004, she was appointed Creative Director at Selfridges. Her role is to define the creative vision for the store, bringing it to life through the window displays, collaborations with artists, and inspirational moments. Recently Ms Weston spearheaded Project Ocean at Selfridges to raise awareness of the issue of overfishing. Ms Weston has been appointed Chairman of the Reta Lila Howard Foundation, UK. She holds a BA Hons from the Merton College Oxford. |
