GLAM’s Newest Board Member Brings Luxury, International and Human Resources Experience

As the newest member of the NC State University Global Luxury and Management (GLAM) Industry Advisory Board, Pascale Meyran brings decades of international experience.

Meyran has worked all over the world, only recently settling in Chapel Hill with her husband. What’s more, that time includes first-hand experience with luxury brands – she served as Chief Human Resources Officer for Capri Holdings Ltd, an organization that groups the iconic brands Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace.

When she and her husband moved to Chapel Hill in October 2019, she connected with the French-American Chamber of Commerce to begin to build a network and find organizations to which she and her husband might be able to provide some support. The Chamber connected Meyran to Kristie McGowan, director of the Jenkins Master of Management Program, Global Luxury, who introduced Meyran to the GLAM program.

“When I first met Pascale, I was immediately impressed by her warmth, thoughtfulness and extensive global HR experiences,” McGowan said. “As an HR executive, she brings an important expertise to NC State’s GLAM Industry Advisory Board.

“I am thrilled Pascale has joined our Board of industry leaders and will be sharing her HR expertise with both the Board and our GLAM students. In fact, Pascale will be working with GLAM students this fall to help them understand and navigate cultural differences in the workplace as well as how to work with HR departments.”

The GLAM Program: Unique Opportunities in the Luxury Industry

Poole College of Management’s GLAM program is unique in that it awards two master’s degrees upon completion. Students receive a Masters in Management with a concentration in Global Luxury from NC State, and a Master of Science in Global Luxury Management from SKEMA Business School in France. They also split their time in the program, spending the fall semester in Raleigh and the spring semester in Paris, followed by four months of combined thesis and professional work, such as internships or full time positions.

GLAM’s Industry Advisory Board plays a crucial role for both students and faculty in the program. Comprised of luxury leaders around the globe across all three luxury sectors – personal, experiential and transportation – the board enhances mentoring, networking and executive coaching opportunities throughout the program as well as curriculum and program development.

It was the unique features of the GLAM program that first stood out to Meyran.

“It is just such an interesting program,” she said. “That they can receive two master’s in one year, the international aspect of the program, and the fact that luxury is defined in these three areas of experience, transportation, and personal; I found that was so intriguing to think of luxury that way.”

Meyran: Bringing More Than Three Decades of Experience to GLAM

Meyran began her 30+ year career in her native country of France, thinking she would be a lawyer but quickly finding she didn’t enjoy the work. When her husband had the opportunity to work in Mexico, she went with him and discovered a love for human resources in the work she did while living there.

When his assignment ended and they returned to France, she pursued the French equivalent of an MBA in Human Resources and her career blossomed from there. Her first HR job was with a large French company. When one of that company’s divisions was bought by General Electric, she had the opportunity to move to the United States for the first time. Meyran stayed with GE for eight years, with assignments in the US and in France, before joining S.C. Johnson, where she worked for 20 years, ending her time there in the role of Global Lead of Human Resources.

“I was very, very lucky during those 20 years,” she said. “I had different jobs, starting in France, then becoming a VP for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, then VP in North America, followed by all International business until I became the Chief Human Resources Officer.”

That was followed by five years, beginning at Michael Kors, and later Capri Holdings Ltd also as Chief Human Resources Officer.

In October 2019, Meyran decided to take one last leap and do something she’d wanted to do for a long time – become an executive coach. She started her own company, P Meyran Executive Coaching, and today serves as a global executive coach.

Her storied career means she will bring unique expertise to her role on the board. She’s worked with three very unique global companies, gaining vast experience in areas ranging from mergers and acquisitions to organizational changes to developing talent, just to name a few. Meyran also has extensive experience in coaching and mentoring.

Furthering the GLAM Program’s Forward-Thinking Approach

As her latest career move might suggest, coaching and mentoring is one area that is particularly important to Meyran and one she hopes will support the students enrolled in the GLAM program.

“For many, many years, I have been very keen on helping around education,” she said. “I strongly believe in education – education can change people’s destiny.”

She also plans to revisit her role as a Human Resources leader, thinking about how to help students market themselves as they pursue their next step after graduation. And, she hopes to be an advocate for the GLAM program.

“It’s very unique, and, as a board member, I hope I can increase awareness,” she said.

Meyran noted that, with the current global pandemic, it is a particularly challenging time to be graduating from a degree program, and she hopes she can make a small contribution toward student success.

“It’s a very critical moment, and I’m hopeful, with the board and the faculty, we can help and reinvent how to approach the current situation,” she said. “I’m super excited and truly honored to be a part of this organization.”

This post was originally published in Global Luxury and Management.