Florence, Brand Director at Boucheron

The bridge builder

Florence’s audacious attitude and courageous networking has led to well-earned transitions and a rich career in luxury.  

Born in Tokyo and raised in France, her international perspective has been an integral part of her career journey. Florence studied hospitality at the École Hôtelière de Lausanne and went on to earn a Master’s in Strategic Management at HEC Paris, where she completed the Kering Certificate of Influential Luxury. This experience proved pivotal, offering her a valuable glimpse into Kering and sparking her desire to work within the luxury industry.

Florence recognizes the steps in her career have been paved by inspiring encounters and serendipity. As a young student, she received the invaluable advice to push through her reserve and learned not to hesitate to approach leaders and influential figures, a quality that has since then played a key role in her progress and success.

“At HEC Paris, while attending an M&A conference by Jean-Marc Duplaix, now Deputy CEO of Kering, I saw my chance to find a senior leader to interview for my thesis. I seized the opportunity to connect and before I knew it, Jean-Marc was introducing me to Kering's M&A Director at the time. He not only agreed to speak to me for my thesis but told me about the launch of Kering Eyewear in Japan and offered me a job there! Within six weeks, I had accepted a role at Kering Eyewear and moved to Tokyo. My take-away? Never miss the chance to build bridges, you never know where they might lead you!”As Kering Eyewear’s first employee in Tokyo, Florence built the department from the ground up: establishing teams, putting in place operations and helping Kering Eyewear take root in this new market. Kering Eyewear was a very young company at that time, having been created in 2014. “As a project manager, I handled everything necessary to set up the business while learning about the industry. It was a crazy experience because the company was growing very fast. It felt like we were revolutionizing the eyewear industry! When I joined, we had about 60 employees worldwide, and by the time I left, we had grown to 1,500.”

By 2018, Florence was keen to see more of the luxury sector and driven to discover “the other side of the mirror” at a brand headquarter. With the support of her manager, Florence moved back to Paris to join Boucheron as Jewelry Operational Marketing Manager. Within a year, she was promoted to Chief of Staff to the CEO, Hélène Poulit-Duquesne. “My role was multi-faceted, at the center of strategic planning and departmental collaboration, acting as a catalyst for transformation.”

After four years, Florence had the opportunity to embrace a new challenge in Singapore as Boucheron’s Southeast Asia Brand Director. “Working alongside such an inspirational CEO was fulfilling. But Hélène encouraged me to seek beyond, and think of what I should do next.”Thanks to her proactive mindset, Florence effortlessly continues to create connections and leverage the Group's network to support her day-to-day business. "Since my arrival in Singapore, I've continued to take the initiative and reach out to potential mentors. I connected with the President of Gucci South Asia & Pacific, early on, and one day, he mentioned a trip to Bangkok. I asked to join and two days later, I was in a meeting with him and landlords, introducing Boucheron alongside Gucci. A few months later, I secured a space there!”

Looking ahead, Florence hopes “to continue building bridges.” Whether between people, markets, roles, or departments. Her advice to a younger person starting at Kering: “Always build authentic and trusting relationships across the Group and beyond. There are many ways to connect, such as events, people programs, and learning sessions. These interactions are invaluable, as they provide different perspectives and support from colleagues. Given Kering's extensive network, including its global presence, diverse Houses, building these bridges is made easier and more impactful.”  

Florence in 6 questions 

Best thing about your job: Flexibility is key. Both in Paris and Singapore, the ability to manage my work hours, along with the trust from my management, allows me to balance my professional and personal life effectively.

Your mentors:  Jean-Marc Duplaix has been a great inspiration ever since I attended one of his conferences at HEC in 2015. Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, my current CEO, who continuously push me to grow in every way.  

Nickname:  Shiva, the multiple arms Hindu god, because I multitask a lot.

Motto:  My motto changes often. Currently, it's ‘don’t follow the wrong KPIs’ as focusing on the wrong metrics can lead to poor business decisions.

Greatest professional achievement: I'm very proud of Boucheron's first sustainability framework which I launched, together with our first impact report. This report sets ambitious objectives for the House, based on concrete actions like improving supply chain traceability and new packaging initiatives. It has had a big impact on the wider industry.

Talent you would most like to have:  Professionally, I admire strong retro-planning skills, which I find challenging. Personally, I wish I could sing better!