Carrie Sherron ’15: Luxury Goes Global

Carrie Sherron first heard about NC State’s Global Luxury and Management Program, a dual master’s degree program through the Poole College of Management and the Skema Business School, while working as an assistant manager for a local contemporary women’s clothing boutique in Raleigh, N.C.

“One of my coworkers asked for a recommendation to the program and I ended up writing her recommendation letter and filling out my own application on the same day,” Sherron remembers. “I was so excited about this program. Between the luxury industry curriculum and the opportunity to spend time in France – a country that had already become special to me – it seemed too good to be true.”

Sherron found that the GLAM program provided more than an opportunity to study what she loved – it also offered a path forward in her career.

“I always loved fashion and wanted to work in the fashion industry in some capacity, but prior to GLAM, it never felt like a realistic career path outside of New York City,” Sherron says. “GLAM showed me the many different career avenues that exist within the luxury sphere – including ones I never imagined existed.”

During her time at GLAM, Sherron interned with Merz Aesthetics alongside CEO Bill Humphries – a former GLAM board member – and continued to discover what direction she wanted to take in her career.

“Interning with Merz allowed me to see so many different aspects of the inner workings of a global company. It also gave me the opportunity to shadow one of the Merz Aesthetics’ account executives, which ultimately showed me what types of jobs I wanted to apply for.”

After completing her internship, Sherron started as an account coordinator with John Hardy and later received a promotion to account executive.

GLAM provided me with skills and prowess to perform in this fast-paced luxury work environment.

“I managed a multi-million dollar wholesale business made up of both national and independent accounts along the East Coast and in Canada,” she says. “GLAM provided me with skills and prowess to perform in this fast-paced luxury work environment. I use the skills I learned in GLAM, like customer relationship management, every single day.”

GLAM’s hands-on experiences and curriculum, Sherron says, provided a practical foundation to fulfill her job responsibilities and tackle everyday challenges.

“My supply chain class prepared me to grow the business and brands I work with through forecasting and analytics. And my trend spotting class, sustainability projects and the deep-dive brand analysis I completed on Ferrari have all been great reference points I have gone back to more than once in real working-world experiences.”

She also found that GLAM helped build the confidence she needed to excel in her career.

“The global perspective I gained boosted my confidence in my abilities to grow business and sales in a different country,” she says. “And while I may not have enjoyed it at the time, the confidence I gained during my public speaking class was invaluable during my tenure at John Hardy. I frequently trained large groups of sales associates, managers, store owners and buyers about the brand and presented new collections while meeting with existing and potential clients at market.”

Today, Sherron carries the skills she developed at GLAM into a new position with LePrix Wholesale, an online platform that allows users to shop for authentic pre-owned luxury pieces from global vintage and consignment boutiques.

“I am so thrilled about this new, sustainable approach to luxury and the opportunity to use the knowledge I gained from GLAM to grow with such an innovative and exciting company,” she says. 
In addition to seeing how GLAM has prepared her for her own career, Sherron notes that watching her classmates follow their own paths has solidified the value of the GLAM program.

“It has been incredible to see where my fellow classmates have landed since graduation. Their different interpretations of how to put their degrees to work within so many different industries – hospitality, fashion, social media, jewelry, yachting and sports – have been truly inspiring.”

Sherron feels particularly grateful for these lifelong friendships with classmates from all over the world.

“These relationships are what I will remember most about GLAM – and I am forever grateful to the program for making our paths cross,” she says. “Our class had students from eight different countries and it was amazing to share and experience the differences and similarities between our cultures while living together in two different countries. Sharing our international perspectives in the classroom helped us to create a broader and more comprehensive idea of what luxury means in the global space.”