Gaia, a senior Merchandising & Business Analyst at Richemont, tells us about her career background, gives us an inside look into life at the Richemont Group and shares her top advice for those wanting to follow in her footsteps.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career background?
Being Italian, I always say that my passion for luxury is innate.
I had the privilege to grow up in a country filled with beauty in its purest essence. This natural quest for beauty nurtured by my surroundings and a general appreciation for art, history, food and fashion led me to pursue a degree in Economics for Art, Culture and Communications. During my masters I developed the strong desire to pursue a career in luxury and had the chance to become an intern in the PR department at Montblanc in Hamburg. After finishing my studies I then joined the Marketing team of Vacheron Constantin in London and after 5 months I moved to a permanent position in the commercial department as the Business Analyst and Merchandiser.
What stood out to you about Richemont/your Maison, when applying for opportunities?
Richemont and its maisons are icons of heritage, savoir faire and excellence. The job opportunities are undeniably aspirational and the collaborative spirit across the brands embodies openness and dynamism, criteria that are priceless when considering a career path.
Personally, with a father who avidly collects Montblanc pens and is very fond of high watchmaking, the Richemont brand portfolio was my first choice during my job research.
How did you find the recruitment process with Richemont/your Maison?
I applied directly through the Richemont website for an internship position. I then had an interview with the HR partner and the Hiring Manager. The process was fair and everyone put me at ease.
What is a ‘typical day’ like in your role?
The perk of being a Business Analyst and Merchandiser means that no two days are alike. I appreciate the versatility of my role that can span from the robustness of the analytical tasks to the dynamism of relationship building with all our retailers and stakeholders.
On a normal schedule, my day would look something like the following.
Starting the day with some admin tasks and merchandising to fulfil stock requests and ensure proper business continuity. This is usually followed by meetings and emails, then a deep dive into some analysis, spanning from CRM data to budget reviews. All of this information will then be consolidated into our strategic vision and business proposals.
How would you describe the culture at Richemont/your Maison?
What I treasure about the Richemont culture is that it is extremely open and collaborative, both across the groups and among the different markets. The same goal is embodied in the physical environment as we work in an open space, allowing us to overcome any barrier and share experiences, advice and information.
Even though it is a huge group, at a local level it feels like family.
One thing that really stands out, is the possibility to be involved in interesting projects outside of our job roles. For example, I am part of the Gender Group for DEI and on top of this, I am currently working on an employee-led talent recruitment and inclusion project called School of Luxury, a personal milestone that is dear to our hearts and of which I hope you will soon hear more.
What is one of your key learnings, since joining Richemont/your Maison?
That you never stop learning 😉
What surprised you about working for Richemont/your Maison?
The heritage of our Maisons and the craftsmanship behind every little detail is just astounding. What I am most passionate about is really the end product and knowing how it comes to life. We craft masterpieces rather than luxury objects.
What piece of advice would you give to someone who is thinking of applying to Richemont/your Maison?
Be passionate and curious, as well as an eager learner and keep an agile profile.
You can find out more about Richemont and their fantastic opportunities on their profile here.