Henri Barguirdjian is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Graff Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries since 2000. The London-based House of Graff opened its U.S. flagship store on Madison Avenue in April of 2001. Since then the U.S. operation has expanded with the opening of new stores in Palm Beach, Chicago, Las Vegas and more recently in Bal Harbour as well as with nine boutiques at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Henri’s extensive background in the luxury jewelry business includes his assignment as President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels in New York from 1993 to 2000. Prior to joining VC&A, Henri was General Manager of Chaumet in Paris from 1991 to 1993 and President of the Retail Division of Harry Winston in New York from 1986 to 1991.

Robert B. Chavez is the President and CEO of Hermès of Paris, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Hermès International. He has held this position since August of 2000. Chavez oversees all Retail and Wholesale as well as all Communications, Finance and Operations of the Company.

Prior to joining Hermès, Chavez was President of Etienne Aigner Inc. He started his career in retail at Bloomingdale’s New York City.

Chavez is a Romance Language and Literature Major and a graduate of Princeton University.

Barbara Cirkva Schumacher joined CHANEL Inc. in 1986 and has continued to increase the U.S. fashion business in the competitive luxury goods market.

As Division President - Fashion, Watches & Fine Jewelry, Barbara is responsible for both the Retail Division as well as the Wholesale Division, Sales, Marketing, Advertising, Real Estate and Construction in the United States and contributes to many worldwide projects.

The Fashion Division consists of Ready-to Wear, Accessories, Shoes, Watches and Fine Jewelry divisions, with over 90 points of sale in fine specialty and department stores. The retail division for CHANEL consists of 23 free standing fashion boutiques in the U.S., Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.

Barbara Cirkva Schumacher is a member of the CHANEL Inc. Operating Committee, the International Fashion, Watches & Fine Jewelry Committees and serves on a multitude of international projects. Additionally, she serves as Chairman for the Luxury Education Foundation, which supports the only interdisciplinary course in Luxury Marketing between Columbia Business School & Parson’s School of Design. Barbara also serves on the working committee of the New York City Ballet, a committee headed by Nina Griscom.

Ms. Cirkva was born in Chicago and lived both in Chicago and Southern California. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University. Prior to joining CHANEL, Barbara Cirkva Schumacher served as Operating Vice-President & Divisional Merchandise Manager for designer apparel & accessories at Bloomingdale’s.

Barbara is married to John Schumacher, former chairman of Bonwit Teller and former president of I. Magnin in California. They reside in New York City and Westchester County, New York.

Francois Kress is the President & CEO of Prada USA.

After holding various positions in Consulting and running his own PR agency in France, François Kress joined LVMH as Managing Director of le Bon Marché International prior to joining Louis Vuitton Malletier as Store Manager of the Louis Vuitton Store on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. Mr. Kress then served as General Manager of Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Celine and Fendi in Thailand, running and also expanding the business to Vietnam. After LVMH Thailand, Mr. Kress became CEO of LVMH Australia and New Zealand before assuming his position as President of Fendi North America until 2004. For the following 5 years, he was CEO of Bulgari Corporation of America Inc, expanding the presence of the leading Italian jewelry brand in North and Latin America.

Mr. Kress graduated in France from the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique in 1989 and Corps des Ponts et Chaussées in 1992.

Ketty Pucci-Sisti Maisonrouge joined CBS faculty in 2004 and teaches the Master Class Marketing of Luxury Products to both MBA and EMBA students.

She runs a consulting firm specializing in Luxury Innovation, KM&Co., assisting luxury firms and start ups in branding, financing and long term strategies.

Her broad background includes a degree in Business Administration from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques, and a Masters Degree in Law from the Sorbonne. In the US, she completed course work for a Master’s degree in Italian Renaissance Art at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts.

In 1988, Mrs. Maisonrouge founded Ketty Maisonrouge & Company, Inc (KM & Co.), a marketing and communications firm specializing in tailoring programs for companies in the areas of fine arts and luxury goods. Her extensive client list includes Chaumet, Christofle, Damiani, Trussardi, Puiforcat, the Italian Trade Office, Hermès, Escada, and La Biennale des Antiquaires. In addition, Mrs. Maisonrouge launched an antiques store in Washington, Connecticut, specializing in 18th century European art, and created Vieux Livres d’Europe, a rare book company.

Concurrent to her duties with KM & Co, Mrs. Maisonrouge served as the permanent US Representative of the largest French auction house Tajan, and of the Comité Colbert, an association of over 70 French Luxury companies until the organization closed its representative office in January 2004.

In addition to being a member of the board of Action Against Hunger, and Kips Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Ms. Maisonrouge also serves as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Dance Institute, and is President and co-Founder of the Luxury Education Foundation.

She was awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre National de Mérite by the French government in 2001, and the title of Chevalier de Legion D’Honneur by the French Government in 2009.

Ms. Maisonrouge is married and has two sons.

Dr. Safwan M. Masri is Professor at the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University, and Director of the Columbia University Middle East Research Center. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of King’s Academy, and is also Chairman of Queen Rania Teacher Academy.

Professor Masri joined the Decision, Risk, and Operations Faculty at Columbia Business School in July 1988, and was appointed Vice Dean of Columbia Business School in January 1993. He served as Vice Dean, MBA Program Director, and Faculty Director of the Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence through December 2005.

Professor Masri earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University in 1982; his Master of Science in Industrial Engineering also from Purdue in 1984; and his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Stanford University in 1988.

Dr. Masri was a Visiting Professor at INSEAD in 1990 and 1991. He has also held teaching positions at Stanford University and Santa Clara University. Professor Masri was honored with the Singhvi Professor of the Year for Scholarship in the Classroom Award in 1990, the Robert W. Lear Service Award in 1998, and the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence in a Core Course in 2000. He has also been honored with the 2003 American Service Award from the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee (ADC).

Professor Masri is Trustee of International College and of the National Children’s Museum in Jordan, and is Director of a number of non-profit organizations and a former Director of the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA). Professor Masri has also served as Director of ARAMEX International Corporation and the Nuqul Group of Companies.

Professor Masri’s areas of expertise include Middle East business and economy with an emphasis on reform in the education and economic sectors; supply chain management; technological change management in the financial services industry; and manufacturing flexibility and its impact on firm performance.

Ms. Sabo is the founder and CEO of Sabo Strategic Partners, a firm specializing in international private equity advisory services. It provides investment, business strategy, and retail development counsel primarily to luxury goods companies.

Ms. Sabo had previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Christian Dior Couture Americas from February 2001 until April 2006. She was responsible for the image/strategic brand development, implementation of the retail network, and development of the external business network. During her tenure the Company had increased its business while maintaining its allure as one of the most sophisticated luxury brands in the market today.

Prior to her current responsibility Ms. Sabo was Senior Vice-President of Sales and Merchandising at Hermes. While at Hermes, she worked closely with Paris to implement a central organization to meet the needs of long term business development, and to support the needs of the growing retail network. This position followed an extensive 10 year retailing career at Saks Fifth Avenue, where she was Vice-President, Divisional Merchandise Manager for all European and American Designer Ready-to-Wear collections. She was responsible for increasing the Designer presence at Saks and also worked on the strategic acquisition of the I. Magnin stores on the West Coast. Ms. Sabo’s New York career started at Bergdorf Goodman, where she began as a buyer.

Ms. Sabo holds a Bachelor of Science in French/Secondary Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has also completed Masters Studies in Arts/Art History 20th Century from the Universite de la Sorbonne in Paris, France.

Ms. Sabo serves on the Board of the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the Board of the Foundation for IUP, which manages the University endowment and directs development efforts. She is also active in various charity fund-raising efforts nationwide.

Born in Germany, Daniel Barth is a graduate of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po). After serving as director of international marketing for Lacoste in Germany and France, he was promoted to President of Lacoste USA in 1998. Mr. Barth became the President & CEO of Lalique North America in January 2003. In January 2006, Daniel became the Managing Director at Faber-Castell AG in Germany, particularly in charge of their premium business.

Charles Henri Cousin began his career as a trader on the Paris International Financial Futures Market (Matif) after studying Economics and Management. His strong financial background paved the way to a successful career in the distribution of luxury goods.

For five years Mr. Cousin worked as Caribbean Sales Manager for P.A. Pommares Agencies S.A. in Barbados, West Indies. He was responsible for the distribution of various brands in a broad range of luxury industries including jewelry and watches, leather accessories and tabletop (crystal, silverware, linen and porcelain).

Mr. Cousin also acted as Honorary Consul General of Switzerland in Barbados and was the Official Delegate of Switzerland for the 1994 United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. He received an exequatur from HRM Elizabeth II.

Mr. Cousin came to America in 1995. That same year, he accepted a position as Executive Vice President and member of the board of directors of Daum, Inc. in New York. Daum is one of the most prestigious fine crystal makers in the world.

In 2002, Mr. Cousin joins Bernardaud, the Limoges porcelain manufacturer as President of their US subsidiary. The largest porcelain maker in France, Bernardaud is selling to the finest retail stores but also prestigious hotels and restaurants across the globe.

A few years later, in 2008, he became Chief Executive Officer of Indigo Project Consulting, Inc. a consulting firm specialized in brand development, sales, marketing and distribution strategies for high-end retail and wholesale companies. Indigo’s international clients operate in different industries including jewelry, diamonds, fitness, home fragrance, leather accessories and hospitality, among others.

A Founding Advisory Board Member of the Luxury Education Foundation, Charles-Henri Cousin is a Vice-President of the French American Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Luxury Marketing Council, the Paris American Club and Club 600. In his spare time, Mr. Cousin is a guest speaker at the Parsons School of Design and Columbia University.

Jean Marc Gallot is the President of Ruinart. Prior to his current position, he was the President of Louis Vuitton Europe. Prior to his current position, he was the President and C.E.O. of Louis Vuitton N.A. Before joining Louis Vuitton, Jean Marc Gallot served as president of Ferragamo USA, Inc. from May 2001 to October 2003. Prior to his role at Ferragamo, Jean Marc also occupied the role of President for Christofle Silver, Inc., in the United States from February 1999 to April 2001. Prior to coming to the United States he was the Director of Marketing at Christofle International in France for 3 years. Prior to this he was with Cartier France in the role of Director of Marketing for Cartier. He holds a Masters degree in Management from the Rouen Graduate School of Management. Jean Marc Gallot is married and has 4 children.

Fred Wilson

Retired Chairman and CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue, Fred Wilson was Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of the Donna Karan Company as well as Cairman and CEO of Eluxury.com, the LVMH retailing company based in San Francisco in addition, prior to DKI Fred was CEO of the LVMH Fashion Group for the Americas. Before moving to New York in 2000, Fred held positions in department store retailing for 10 years between 1969 and 1979 with Federated Department Stores and Associated Dry Goods. He then joined DFS (the duty free group) in 1979 and was with them until they were purchased by LVMH in 1996. During that time Fred and his family lived for 6 years in Asia and 14 years in SFO. The last 10 years with DFS, Fred served as President and Chief Merchandising Officer. After DFS he became CEO for the LVMH Specialty Store Retail division developing new retail concept initiatives for the group.

Fred serves on several outside boards and is a trustee at Wabash College where he graduated in 1969 majoring in English Literature.

Fred is married to Debbie, (a psychotherapist) and they have four children and one grandchild. Fred and Debbie reside in California and Manhattan.

A master of style, Prosper Assouline is known for merging the modern and the classical in publishing and creative design. The former artistic director of several French fashion magazines, Prosper’s experience includes creating and launching his own magazine, and the founding of a creative agency specializing in branding and advertising in the late 1980s.

With a vision of luxury in print, he founded ASSOULINE Publishing with his wife, Martine Assouline, in Paris in 1995, creating a world of exclusivity in books and brand identity. Under the direction of Prosper, ASSOULINE has invented a visual language that is internationally recognized for its excellence.

After establishing the imprint as the world’s most important publisher of high-quality illustrated volumes on fashion and style, Prosper opened an office in New York in 2001, which was very well received. In the past four years, ASSOULINE has published over 250 titles for the U.S. market and over 500 in France. The first collection of monographs on the history of fashion, art, and design, ASSOULINE’S Memoire series includes over 150 titles on such legendary names as Azzedine Aläia, Chanel, Charles James, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marc Jacobs.

ASSOULINE books have been translated into more than ten languages and are distributed in the most exclusive retail destinations worldwide. With the help of Ron Frasch, ASSOULINE has become a luxury brand whose medium is culture, opening quarters first in Bergdorf Goodman, and then at ten Saks Fifth Avenue stores, as well as Celux (Tokyo), Lane Crawford (Hong Kong), and Holt Renfrew (Toronto). The ASSOULINE flagship boutique in Paris on Place Saint Germain des Prés opened in October 2005. Conceived as a contemporary library, the boutique features the complete collection of books and luxury products. ASSOULINE created the items around the books, such as Book scented candles, a leather Coach designed library, a variety of slip cased products and limited edition volumes. Also featured is the Goyard trunk, designed by Prosper Assouline with Goyard as a means to capture the nostalgia of traveling with books. Another one of Prosper’s designs is the ASSOULINE Library, a handcrafted bookcase featuring 150 books on style released last year that has sold with great success at Saks.

The spirit and savoir faire of ASSOULINE books have contributed to the creation of a both chic and eclectic luxury brand that is unmistakable. Prosper Assouline creates products that are objects d’art; they have a beauty and a point of view that make them desirable to own and incorporate into the most discerning collections.

Pamela Baxter is a seasoned senior executive with over 30 years experience in the luxury cosmetic, skincare and fragrance industries. In January 2004, Ms. Baxter assumed the newly created position of President and Chief Executive Officer LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics for North America. In October of 2007 she was also given the responsibility for Dior Couture in North America and Mexico including retail, wholesale, advertising, public relations and finance.

Ms. Baxter previously held the position of President of the Specialty Group at Estée Lauder Companies with global responsibility for Prescriptives, Crème de la Mer, Jo Malone and Kate Spade Beauty.

Her Estée Lauder Companies experience began 23 years ago where she had the position of West Coast Regional Marketing Director for the Aramis brands. In 1990, after a decade of hands-on sales experience, she was asked to relocate to the New York headquarters and in 1992 she was promoted to Vice President Marketing.

In 1994 Ms. Baxter negotiated and signed the first ever licensing agreement in the history of the Estée Lauder Companies and in 1995 led the team that created and launched the very successful Tommy fragrance. This license agreement served as a precedent for others to come.

Also in 1995 she was given the newly acquired Crème de la Mer, for which she led the development of a full line of prestige luxury skincare products that is now sold in over 30 countries and is a top ranking brand at prestige retailers throughout the world.

Ms. Baxter currently has responsibility for Dior, Givenchy, Guerlain, Acqua di Parma and Fresh.

Her first initiative was to restore the image of Dior, which resulted in a drastic reduction of distribution and development of synergies with the fashion heritage.

The Guerlain beauty business has also been her focus with specialty stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue where it is now their fastest growth brand.

Ms. Baxter holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Los Angeles (UCLA). She has one son and two grandchildren residing in Los Angeles. She serves as the Chairman of the annual Dream Ball that benefits the Look Good Feel Better program for the American Cancer Society, is a board member for Gilda’s Club Worldwide, CTFA Board of Directors, and also serves on the C.E.W. board as well as FIT.

Pamela enjoys travel, concerts, ballet, theatre, cooking classes and is an avid scuba diver.

Maz Zouhairi is the President and CEO of Lalique North America, leading the U.S. Operations. Prior to his current position, Maz served as the brand's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, since October 2004. Before joining Lalique, Maz was vice president for sales at Bourjois, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chanel, where he led the sales effort of the French cosmetics and fragrance brand during its launch in the U.S.

Maz has worked in the retail industry for almost 20 years. He started his career working while attending college in Ohio, where he studied business administration at Cleveland State University. Maz spent the first seven years of his career in a variety of positions at CIGNAL, a division of Merry-Go-Round Enterprises, where he started as a salesman and worked his way up to district manager before joining The Sports Zone as vice president for store operations, a position he held until the year 2000 when he left to join Bourjois.

Daniel Lalonde is President and Chief Executive Officer of Louis Vuitton North America, a division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (“LVMH”), the world’s leading luxury products group. Lalonde is responsible for all activities of Louis Vuitton North America.

Prior to joining Louis Vuitton, Lalonde was the President & CEO of LVMH (Moët Henessy Louis Vuitton) Watch & Jewelry, North America which includes brands such as TAG Heuer, Christian Dior, Chaumet, Zenith, OMAS writing instruments, and De Beers LV, the luxury retail venture of LVMH and the De Beers Diamond Company.

During his tenure at LVMH Watch & Jewelry, Mr. Lalonde successfully grew the business and strengthened the appeal and positioning of each brand in the portfolio. Under Mr. Lalonde’s leadership, the TAG Heuer business tripled, the company became the fastest growing luxury watch brand in North America for four straight years and became the second leading watch brand in North America.

Before joining LVMH, Mr. Lalonde was Global Chief Operating Officer of Nestle Nespresso S.A, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, market leader in premium portioned coffee. There, he led the brand to global market leadership by designing and launching innovative product, opening new regions and developing flagship stores throughout Europe. Nespresso S.A. is one of the fastest growing operating units of the Nestle Group, worlds’ leading food, beverage, nutrition and wellness company.

Prior to joining Nespresso S.A., Mr. Lalonde launched and led the retail division of Häagen-Dazs Europe S.A. as Managing Director, where he developed over 100 prime-location flagship stores in 12 European markets, tripling the business.

His earlier experience includes strategy consulting assignments for prestigious clients in wines and spirits, consumer goods, and technology.

Mr. Lalonde holds an MBA from INSEAD, France. He holds a Bachelor degree and double major in mathematics and business administration from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. He has lectured at several highly regarded institutions, including the Harvard Business School and the American Express Luxury Summit. He is on the executive board of Luxury Education Foundation, The Jewelry Information Council, among others and is a member of the INSEAD Council.

A native of Cornwall, Ontario, Mr. Lalonde is married with three children.

Farzad Rastegar is CEO of Maclaren USA Inc. He is also a Director of Dory Ventures LLC, a private equity advisory and service firm working with branded consumer goods businesses around the world. Farzad has extensive experience in corporate restructurings mainly in branded goods businesses. He received his B.Sc. from the Imperial College of Science & Technology, London University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Fabio Leoncini is Managing Director of the Luxury Goods Unit and a Member of the Board of Directors of Loro Piana SpA. Mr. Leoncini oversees all Retail, Wholesale, Communications, and Operations activities. Since his arrival in 1999, Mr. Leoncini has been responsible for expanding the Luxury Goods Division and developing the company’s directly operated retail network, which today includes 135 stores worldwide. Under Mr. Leoncini’s leadership Loro Piana has grown tenfold in ten years.

Prior to joining Loro Piana, Mr. Leoncini was the CEO of Byblos, a fashion company owned by the Italian group Genny Holding SpA. His earlier experience includes management consulting with Booz and Co. as well as private consulting assignments for several turnaround projects in the luxury goods industry.

Mr. Leoncini holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York with Beta-Gamma- Sigma honors and a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering with top honors from the University of Bologna in Italy.

Emmanuel Perrin is the President and CEO of Cartier North America where he oversees 36 boutiques including two in Canada and more than 150 authorized dealers. He was appointed to the position in January 2010 after extensive international experience within Compagnie Financière Richemont SA.

Most recently, Perrin served as President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels Inc. managing three entities for the Americas and Caribbean markets. In this role, he was responsible for all distribution channels for North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and supervised the “les Ateliers Van Cleef & Arpels, Inc.,” a jewelry workshop in New York City. During his tenure, Perrin increased the visibility of the high jewelry business and expanded the retail operations in the US.

Previously, Perrin was the President and Representative Director for Japan, Korea and Duty Free Shoppers Limited. Prior to Van Cleef & Arpels, he held multiple senior management positions during his nine year tenure with Cartier subsidiaries around the globe. Perrin began his career with Cartier Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong where he optimized sales, developed the distribution network and set up the Korean subsidiary.

Perrin is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization, an international network of young global business leaders dedicated to creating better leaders through education and idea exchange. He is also a member of Conseillers de Commerce Extérior de la France (CCEF), a network of professionals sharing their experience and recommendations with the French Ministry of Economy.

Perrin graduated from Fachhochschule Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts with a German Business Administration degree and holds a Master of International Business Management degree from EPSCI-ESSEC Business School. Perrin is currently a member of the ESSEC USA Alumni Board.

Perrin is fluent in French, English and German. Born in Paris, France, Perrin currently resides in New York with his wife and three children.