Luxury industry leaders join NC State Poole College – SKEMA Global Luxury Management Board

The Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., U.S.A., and SKEMA Business School in Sophia Antipolis, France, have announced the inaugural Industry Advisory Board members for the dual-degree Global Luxury Management (GLM) curriculum that the two business schools are delivering jointly, in collaboration with NC State's College of Textiles.

The 16 advisory board members include leaders in various sectors of the luxury market, including apparel, transportation, consulting, home furnishings, hospitality, investments, and accessories. The board members contribute time and perspectives related to the global luxury market, as well as opportunities for enhancing the GLM program content. Board members have opportunities to interact with the students for career development, internships and career hiring, as well as to participate in faculty and student activities, including guest lecturing, company tours, and career management functions.

The one-year graduate curriculum is offered as an option in NC State Poole College’s Master of Global Innovation Management (MGIM) program. The global luxury management option prepares students to pursue careers in marketing, merchandising, sales, supply chain management and creative content development for the global luxury markets of Europe, the Americas and Asia.

Students in GLM’s first cohort of 18 students are completing the program this summer and will receive two masters’ degrees in December 2013, one from NC State University and one from SKEMA Business School. They entered the program with diverse backgrounds, including business management, brand marketing, design, textiles and film.

The current students completed coursework at NC State’s Poole College of Management and College of Textiles in fall 2012 and at SKEMA’s Sophia Antipolis campus in spring 2013. Practical work experience – gained through a summer internship or full time employment – concludes their program.

As of June 8, 2013, the GLM program had admitted 46 students for the 2013-14 academic year; 23 were admitted through the NC State Poole College, and 23 through SKEMA’s campus in Sophia Antipolis, France.

“This GLM option brings together key areas of strength at NC State University and SKEMA, including business principles, innovation management, textiles management, and the international global luxury industry,” said Ellen Rohde, GLM Industry Advisory Board chairman and adjunct member of the NC State College of Textiles faculty. “This provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about the business of luxury, gain experience in the world of luxury, and begin to develop their career path in this exciting industry. I am pleased to be part of that process.”

“We are very excited about the opportunities this collaboration offers, and are very appreciative of the commitment that our GLM Industry Advisory Board members have made in joining us,” said Dr. Steve Allen, associate dean for the Jenkins Graduate School in the NC State Poole College of Management. “They bring a real world perspective and depth of experience that helps assure students in this new option within our MGIM program are well prepared for the dynamic global luxury industry.”

“Following the opening of our campus in 2011, the launch of this program in fall 2012 is a perfect illustration of the strength and quality of the partnership between NC State’s Poole College of Management and SKEMA,” said Alice Guilhon, dean of SKEMA. “We strongly believe that this cross-disciplinary, international approach offered by our two institutions provides Global Luxury Management students a solid foundation in business and management skills, practices and principles, as well as hands-on experience and exposure to the luxury market.”

Following are the members of the MGIM Global Luxury Management Industrial Advisory Board; each will serve a three-year term on the board.

• Ellen Rohde, chair of the GLM Industrial Advisory Board and president, The ELR Group. Rohde is retired senior executive, VF Corporation.
• Jim Beley, general manager, The Umstead Hotel and Spa
• Joe Blair, president and chairman, Individualized Apparel Group
• Lisa Boyles, vice president of sales and marketing, VIETRI
• Larry D. Coats, Jr., private investor
• Russell Cohen, consultant and former chairman and co-chief executive officer Carlyle & Co.
• Lyn B. Conger, founding partner, Taylor Richards and Conger
• Jerome Espinos, president, footwear and accessories, Ralph Lauren
• Fred Gallasch, president of Gallasch Consulting Services
• Millie Graham, vice president of marketing, Peter Millar
• Nicholas Krafft, president and chief executive officer, Christofle Silver, Inc.
• Alberto Carlo Milani, chief executive officer, Buccellati-Americas
• Gaurav Patel, president, Eschelon Hospitality
• Milton Pedraza, founder and chief executive officer, Luxury Institute, LLC
• Christy L. Phillips, partner, Franklin Street Partners
• Ashley Swigart, senior director of business development, Christofle Silver, Inc.

About the members of the Global Luxury Management Advisory Board

• Ellen Rohde, a retired senior executive from VF Corporation, serves as chair of the NC State University Poole College’s Global Luxury Management board of advisors. VF Corporation is a $10 billion global leader in branded apparel whose companies include Wrangler, Lee, The North Face, Nautica, Timberland, Lucy and Seven for all Mankind. Over the course of her 22-year career with VF Corporation, Rohde served as president of three operating divisions – Vanity Fair Intimates, Girbaud and Healthtex – and held numerous corporate staff positions in the areas of strategy, customer management, marketing and supply chain. In addition to her role on the GLM Board, Rohde serves as an industry consultant for the academic program. She also is an adjunct faculty member in NC State’s College of Textiles. In 2012, she was named Textile Leader of the Year by the college’s Phi Kappa Psi and Kappa Tau Beta professional textiles and academic societies. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.
   
• Jim Beley is the general manager of The Umstead Hotel and Spa, North Carolina’s premier AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star-rated hotel property. He directs day-to-day operations at the 150-room hotel with a distinctive approach to the hospitality industry that is reflected in The Umstead’s vision and values which he spearheaded to emphasize respect, personal and professional growth, and happiness in the workplace and to show how these qualities translate into superior guest service. In January 2011, Beley received the Lodging Operator of the Year award from the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. Prior to joining The Umstead in 2009, he served 17 years on management teams at AAA Five Diamond-rated luxury hotels including the Inn at Palmetto Bluff Resort, the American Club and the Inn on Woodlake. From 1984 to 1996, Beley held various positions with the Ritz-Carlton hotel company in Laguna Nigel, Calif., Naples, Fla., Atlanta, Ga., and Boston, Mass., ending his tenure as general manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, Pa. He received his bachelor’s degree in hotel administration from Florida International University and an associate degree in occupational science from the Culinary Institute of America. A native of New York State, Beley now resides in Raleigh, N.C., with his wife and four children. He serves on the board of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and is an active member of the United States Golf Association.
   
• Joe Blair is president and chairman of the Individualized Apparel Group (IAG), the largest manufacturer of custom clothing in the world. IAG is the manufacturing arm of the parent company Tom James. Additionally, the company consists of The Tom James Retail Division and the Holland and Sherry Textile Group. Blair began his retail career with the Custom Shop in 1975 as training manager and managed its Madison Avenue location in New York City. He joined Individualized Shirts in 1985 as northeast sales manager, was promoted to vice president-sales in 1988 and to president and chief executive officer in 1991. In 1996, he assumed additional responsibility for all IAG custom clothing. He was named president and chairman in 2004. Blair grew up New York City with family ties to the garment industry. He worked summers at his parents’ garment manufacturing business, and his grandparents owned three retail shoe stores. Blair graduated from Hunter College in New York City and currently resides with his family in Fort Lee, N.J., and Fort Myers, Fla.
   
• Lisa Boyles is the vice president of sales and marketing for VIETRI, Inc, a wholesaler of Italian handcrafted dinnerware and home and garden accessories to the finest specialty retailers in the world. VIETRI serves a customer base of over 2,000 specialty retailers throughout the U.S. and internationally. Since joining VIETRI in 2005, Boyles has held managerial and director-level sales and marketing roles. She currently oversees sales, marketing and customer service teams and has a prominent role in strategic planning and brand development. Boyles earned her master’s in textile technology and management at NC State’s College of Textiles and her bachelor’s in business administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. She resides in Raleigh, N.C.
   
• Russell Cohen had an extensive career with Carlyle & Co., serving in roles of increasing responsibility from his start as store manager trainee in 1977. He was promoted to store manager in 1978, vice president of marketing in 1980, and chairman and co-chief executive officer in 1986, a position he held until the sale of the company in 2005. His achievements include planning and executing a complete rebranding of the company in 1999 to focus exclusively on the luxury business, and his leading role in the negotiation and sale of the business in 2005, working closely with new ownership and executive leadership to facilitate the acquisition and integration of the company. More recently, he has worked with the DeBeers Forevermark brand in the U.S. and Cora International as an independent consultant. Cohen earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his MBA at Columbia University. He is also a graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America. Professional affiliations include serving on the Jewelers of America’s board of directors, DeBeers United States Carat Club and induction into the National Jewelers Hall of Fame.
   
• Larry D. Coats, Jr., has three decades of professional consulting, investing and executive management experience. After winning the National Association of Small Business Companies National Research award in 1983 for his study of the then-nascent venture capital industry, he worked three years as a senior consultant with Anderson Consulting, now Accenture. In 2003, he was named chief executive officer of Oak Value Capital Management, Inc., in Durham, N.C., and remained in that position until the sale of the company to RS Investments, LLC, a San Francisco-based investment firm. At Oak Value, Coats managed a team of professional analysts, heralded by Morningstar as one of two dozen “ultimate stock pickers” in the U.S. mutual fund industry. His expertise in business investing strategies with a focus on competitive, structural and economic advantages has been highlighted in the national business press. In 2009, Barron’s published a feature article about Coats and his partners. Coats received his bachelor’s in business administration and MBA degrees from the University of South Carolina. He lives with his family in Apex, N.C., and is active in advisory roles and philanthropic activities.
   
• Lyn B. Conger is the one of the founding partners of Taylor Richards and Conger, an upscale men’s specialty store in Charlotte, N.C. He has more than 30 years’ experience in men’s specialty retail clothing management and sales. In 1986 Conger, along with Glen Taylor and Richard Pattison, co-founded Taylor Richards and Conger. Prior to 1986, he was affiliated with Jodhpurs in Charlotte and Varsity Men’s Wear in Raleigh. At Taylor Richards and Conger, he manages the day-to-day operations of the boutique collection store which offers superior quality domestic and imported brands. He incorporated a “sister” women’s store of 2,000 square feet adjacent to the men’s store during a major relocation to Phillips Place shopping center in Charlotte, N.C., in 2005. Conger graduated from Myers Park High School in Charlotte, and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1982 from the now named Poole College of Management at NC State University. He is a former member of the Metrolina Business Council and former board member of the Harris YMCA in Charlotte. He and his wife reside in Charlotte, N.C.
   
• Jerome Espinos is president of collection footwear and accessories at Ralph Lauren, with expertise in the leather goods industry and men’s and women’s footwear and accessories. During his 20 years in the fashion industry, he has worked with Charles Jourdan, LVMH and Ralph Lauren, gaining knowledge in all aspects of the industry, including design, merchandising, production and sales. Espinos has also worked closely with the world’s most influential designers, including Karl Lagerfeld, Riccardo Tisci, Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren. He received his MBA from the Institute Supérieur du Commerce in Paris and has lived in Italy and France. He currently resides in New York City.
   
• Fred Gallasch is president of Gallasch Consulting Services, a firm that specializes in helping businesses and individuals with product, branding and marketing decisions. Their focus is on supplier-to-manufacturer relations, product and sales venue selection, voice of the customer, personal branding and marketing. Gallasch has a rich background in the automotive field, including structuring an entrepreneurial accessory business for the development and sale of automotive accessories, developing and facilitating implementation of independent accessory distributor installers, and locating new sales venues for consulting clients’ products, resulting in over $20 million in incremental revenue. Gallasch also led Chevrolet’s development of the successful fifth generation Corvette. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in economics, demand analysis, microeconomics and business with a minor in statistics from North Carolina State University. He earned his bachelor’s in applied mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Hampden-Sydney College. Gallasch taught at NC State University and Davidson County Community College in North Carolina. He is a board member of the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research and also a founding and life member of the National Corvette Museum. He was inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame in 2010.
   
• Millie Graham is the vice president of marketing at Peter Millar, a leader in the luxury apparel market. Prior to joining Pete Millar in 2005, Graham served 10 years in the better golf retail market at premier clubs such as Pinehurst Resort, Daufuskie Island Club, Belfair Club and apparel company Jack Nicklaus Sportswear. Her vast experience and expertise in the industry has proven to be a tremendous asset as she leads Peter Millar’s marketing initiatives. Working alongside the founder, CEO and other senior leadership, Graham plays a dynamic role in the brand building of Peter Millar, creating sales driven marketing programs, managing national advertising efforts and executing the overall brand strategy. Graham received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the College of Charleston and currently resides in Raleigh, N.C.
   
• Nicholas Krafft is president and chief executive officer of Christofle Americas. He was appointed to his current role in June 2012, after previously serving as president and CEO for the North American subsidiary of the French silver company. Krafft has worked for Christofle since 2002, initially as managing director for Asia-Pacific. Before joining Christofle, Krafft held the general manager position with AELIA Group specializing in alcohol, tobacco and gourmet foods. From its founding in 1830 to the present day, Christofle has been at the forefront of the decorative arts, constantly perfecting new techniques and renewing its creative sensibility. Its creations in silver has made Christofle a symbol of luxury and elegance.
   
• Alberto Carlo Milani is the chief executive officer of Buccellati-Americas, overseeing all financial, operational, sales and marketing functions for the brand throughout North and South America. Since he began his career at Buccellati, the brand has experienced rapid sales growth and is now positioned as the most exclusive jewelry brand in the U.S. – the number one market within the company worldwide. Prior to joining Buccellati, Milani held executive positions with Proctor & Gamble, Sector Sport Watches and Bulgari. His visionary approach to mission and corporate positioning – taking an innovative approach to all facets of the marketing mix – has been recognized by publications and market leaders, and he speaker frequently at industry, branding and educational venues worldwide.
   
• Gaurav Patel is the president of Eschelon Hospitality, a fast growing restaurant group in Raleigh, N.C. In just a few years, Patel has almost doubled the size of his company as well as set a standard for the restaurant industry. The group includes Zinda, a new concept specializing in Asian cuisine; The Oxford, a British gastropub; Mura, a sushi and Japanese fusion restaurant; Cameron Bar and Grill, an American grill; and Sono Sushi, a stylish sushi restaurant. Patel also works closely with a number of nonprofit groups including Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities and Hope for Haiti Foundation. He is a graduate of NC State University’s Poole College of Management.
   
• Milton F. Pedraza is the chief executive officer of the Customer Culture Institute, LLC (CCI) and the Luxury Institute, LLC. Both independent research and consulting firms focus on conducting research on the customer experience and on transforming top-tier brands into more profitable customer-centric enterprises. Pedraza has been a world-class expert CRM practitioner since 1997. Prior to founding the Luxury Institute, he served in finance, marketing, sales and senior management positions at Fortune 100 companies Altria, Pepsico, Colgate, Citigroup and Wyndham Worldwide. Milton is also an author and a popular speaker at top-tier industry conferences and corporate events. He has conducted business in over 100 countries and speaks several languages. He is one of the most quoted experts on best practices in luxury, retail, CRM and customer experience around the globe.
   
• Christy L. Phillips is partner, director of investment research and senior portfolio manager of multiple equity strategies at Franklin Street Partners in Chapel Hill, N.C. Her emphasis is on managing a concentrated portfolio of high quality businesses that are indicative of global brands with scalable business models. Previously, she was a principal and portfolio manager for RS Investments, LLC, where she led the investment team for the core growth equity strategy. Prior to joining RS Investments, Phillips held leadership roles, including portfolio manager, director of research, investment committee member and principal in Oak Value Capital Management. She has a long tenure as a senior analyst with specific expertise in the telecommunications, media and entertainment and consumer branded luxury sectors at firms including Coker Palmer Phillips & Mullen, Smith Barney and Lehman Brothers. Phillips received a bachelor’s degree from The University of Tennessee.
   
• Ashley Swigart is the senior director of business development for Christofle Silver, Inc., the world renowned creator of luxury silver goods and an innovative force in the art of living, revolutionizing styles, techniques, and methods for production and distribution of silver plate and the decorative arts. Swigart graduated from Sweet Briar College with a degree in political science and art history and worked at Lehman Brothers as the director of investment banking recruiting before transitioning into the world of luxury goods. She joined Christofle in 2004 and works with the company’s national accounts, as well as independent accounts on the East Coast. She relocated to Raleigh, N.C., in 2010 after living in New York City and Connecticut for many years.

About NC State University Poole College of Management and Jenkins Graduate School

The NC State University Poole College of Management focuses on management education for a technology driven global marketplace. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting, business administration and economics, as well as custom and open enrollment programs through North Carolina State Executive Education, LLC. The college’s Jenkins Graduate programs include the Master of Business Administration, Master of Accounting, and Master of Global Innovation Management programs, including a Global Luxury Management option offered in collaboration with NC State’s College of Textiles. Master’s and doctoral degree programs in economics are offered jointly with NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Corporate engagement opportunities are available through the college’s centers and initiatives that support academic and outreach programs in biosciences management, consumer research, enterprise risk management, in­novation management, supply chain management, and technology entrepreneurship and commercialization. Poole College’s accounting and business programs are accredited by AACSB International. Details are available online at www.poole.ncsu.edu.

About SKEMA

SKEMA is a global business school with campuses in Asia, Europe and America. Through its research and teaching programmes it prepares talented individuals for 21st century global business environment. Its goal is to train mobile, adaptable, talented managers who are able to deliver sustainable performance, make a valuable contribution to social, societal and economic debates and challenges, network, work remotely and push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation – managers who are comfortable with, and show respect for, multicultural and social diversity. Its campuses are located within large, expanding research parks, where cooperation and partnership come together to create the innovations and technologies of the future. The programmes at SKEMA Business School are aimed at students who want to be part of a globalised training community whose graduates go on to work towards a collective goal with a common vision: to create the right conditions for a sustainable knowledge-based economy. – http://www.skema.edu/campus/sophia-antipolis/

Photo

Members of the MGIM-Global Luxury Management's Industry Advisory Board are, left to right: Jerome Espinos, Ashley Swigart (front), Joe Blair, Lisa Boyles, Larry Coats, Jr., Ellen Rohde, Jim Beley, Russ Cohen, Christy L. Phillips, Lyn Conger, and Alberto Milani. Not in the photo: Fred Gallasch, Millie Graham, Nicholas Krafft, Gaurav Patel, and Milton Pedraza.