IMD Luxury 2050 Forum
Inspiring what could be, we want to shape the future of a more innovative, relevant, and environmentally and socially responsible luxury.
In the ever-evolving landscape of the luxury industries, where change is constant and challenges abound, the Luxury 2050 Forum seeks to explore the future of luxury by celebrating innovation and embracing change. From the boundless possibilities of digital landscapes to the imperative of sustainability, through the reinvention of timeless traditions by a new generation of leaders, the journey is marked by both complexity and promise. The Luxury 2050 Forum aims to enhance the capabilities and opportunities of luxury brands, equipping them to adeptly navigate uncharted territories and grasp the opportunities that unfold. This forum is not just an event; it’s the foundation of a vibrant and supportive alumni community. A community where professionals across diverse luxury sectors converge, not only to share insights and expertise but to foster meaningful connections.
Each year, the Luxury 2050 Forum Community selects a parrain—a key leader from the luxury industry—who accepts the prestigious role of championing the forum’s initiatives. This distinguished individual brings unique vision and influence, fostering innovation, sustainability, and collaboration within the sector. Click on the right to discover our honorary parrains.
It is an honour to be the second ‘Parrain’ of the IMD Luxury 2050 Forum. I look forward to interacting and sharing with this community my experiences and learnings in brand building, client experience, business development, innovation and leadership in the luxury field.
Very excited to accept the proposal to become the “Parrain” of the IMD Luxury 2050 Forum and bring my modest contribution to this exciting think tank and community. CFOs have the unique chance to be at the crossroads of companies decision-making processes and strategic reflections. They need to use this chance and opportunity to do the right things: shape the long-term future of their companies and functions, and shape the role their companies should play in society at large.
Is the members key channel to share and exchange opinions with the Forum’s community
Industry disruptors that challenge the industry norms and conventions and bring a solution to a specific challenge
Discover a series of engaging conversations at C-Suite Talks, where inclusivity thrives in an exclusive setting.
Ian Charles Stewart is an independent investor in, and advisor to, the arts, entertainment and technology sectors. He specialises in culture and business model adaptation in the face of technology based disruption. Stewart is also chairman of the WheelsPlusWings Foundation (founded in Beijing) which supports opportunities for children with disabilities in developing countries, and an Executive in Residence at IMD Business School in Switzerland. Stewart was Co- Founder of the seminal US publication WiReD Magazine, and Founder and CEO of Aztec Internet (which built the teams, technology platforms and launch content for BBC News Online and FT.com). Stewart was formerly MD of a venture capital company in the Rothschild Group, and a Venture Fund Manager within the Lazard Group. Stewart has served as Mentor, Judge and Lecturer to students in Venture Capital and Social Entrepreneurship programmes at London Business School, is a Visiting Professor, and was an Enterprise Board member, of the University of the Arts, London and holds an MBA (with Honours) from IMD. Stewart studied mathematics, physics and computer science as an undergraduate, started his working life as a Photographer/Author, has published books on Indonesia and Singapore, speaks English, French, Indonesian and Mandarin (to varying degrees), and, a very long time ago, was a member of the New Zealand Olympic Volleyball squad.
Stéphane JG Girod’s research, teaching, and consulting focus on the development of business agility in response to the many forms of disruption faced by organizations in today’s world.
Stéphane JG Girod’s research, teaching, and consulting focus on the development of business agility in response to the many forms of disruption faced by organizations in today’s world. He sets out his thinking on the topic in his recent book Resetting Management: Thrive with Agility in the Age of Uncertainty. He has particular expertise in the luxury sectors and leads IMD’s Luxury 2050 initiative.
Girod helps executives and established companies to foster agility at the strategy, organizational, and leadership levels in response to digital, (de)globalization, and other forms of disruption. He is an expert on linking agility and digital transformations.
In Resetting Management: Thrive with Agility in the Age of Uncertainty, he explains why business agility now matters more than ever and shows how it can release a new level of energy, innovation, and entrepreneurship that will enable organizations to be future ready. Rather than advocating a formulaic one-size-fits-all approach, the book outlines pathways towards calibrating the right type and degree of agility for every company’s unique circumstances.
Agility is particularly important in the luxury sectors, which are experiencing multiple rupture points. The IMD Luxury 2050 initiative is a platform offering solutions to help luxury brands prepare today for the longer-run, big, strategic, operational, and cultural challenges they face. These solutions bring together IMD’s unique competences in terms of dedicated innovative pedagogical activities, cutting-edge thought leadership, and access to a vibrant community of alumni working across a wide range of luxury industries.
Girod’s work in the luxury space is increasingly focused on helping luxury brands develop and implement purposeful and sustainable strategies. In addition, he works on business agility across a range of other sectors including retail, automobile, pharmaceuticals, and banking, and he has designed customized learning journeys for numerous organizations who appreciate his hands-on approach and ability to keep sight of the bigger picture while also paying attention to detail. He has directed programs for Richemont, Puig, Mazda, Telenor, Midea, Bally, and La Prairie and has taught on custom programs for many others.
He is also Director of IMD’s Reinventing Luxury Lab open program and Co-Director of the Digital Execution course.
His research has appeared in leading journals such as Harvard Business Review, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Long Range Planning, the Journal of Business Strategy, and European Business Review, and he is co-editor of a California Management Review special issue on business agility which is due to be published in 2023.
Girod writes a regular column in Forbes on disruption, innovation, and agility in luxury industries, and his thought leadership has been covered by media outlets such as China Daily, The Economist Intelligence Unit, Women’s Wear Daily, BBC News, Télévision Suisse Romande, Valor Econômico, La Vanguardia, Tribune de Genève, Luxury Society, HandelZeitung, and The Times. He is also the author of numerous case studies, including ones on Rabobank (agile leadership), Lamborghini (future-readiness and transformation), Chanel, and Chloé (both on sustainability).
Before joining IMD in 2016, he was Assistant Professor of International Business and Strategy at Henley Business School and a Manager of the Accenture Institute for High Performance in London. He previously occupied several international development roles in leading luxury goods companies for markets such as France, Italy, and the Middle East and speaks seven languages.
Selected publications
Five strategies for building a new-style luxury customer community (Forbes, 2022)
Simplify@Scale: Agile leadership at Rabobank (IMD, 2022)
Chanel 1.5°: A sustainability journey (IMD, 2021)
Resetting Management: Thrive with Agility in the Age of Uncertainty (Kogan Page, 2021)
How organizations can design for agility and embrace uncertainty (strategy+business, 2021)
How luxury brands can beat counterfeiters (Harvard Business Review, 2019)
Restructure or reconfigure? (Harvard Business Review, 2017)
Education
MSc (Business & Management)
Toulouse Business School
MBA (International Business and Management)
Helsinki School of Economics, Aalto University
MSc (Management Research and Business Administration)
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
DPhil (Strategic Management)
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
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