Making a long story short

Working at Rémy Cointreau since June 2018
Current position: Senior Brand Manager for LOUIS XIII
Based in London
3 skills to work in your team: thinking client-centric; having a team-player mentality; and a good balance between having an eye for detail to always deliver a perfect experience to a very high standard, whilst keeping our overall objectives and long-term goals in mind.

Your job as Brand Manager for LOUIS XIII

What does your job as Senior Brand Manager entail?
I am in charge of all marketing, communications and PR initiatives for the UK, including amplifying global campaigns or developing more tactical local campaigns, supporting events and relationship building with new and existing partners.

I also look after two of our business channels which are our prestige retailers as well as our e-commerce platform. Together with the sales team, we create business opportunities, ensure the right level of brand visibility, and manage the day-to-day accounts with all relationships, activations and amplifications around it. Going beyond my immediate business channels, I try support my team as best as possible with on-trade activations or clienteling opportunities.

Finally, I am involved in internal processes such as managing our A&P budget, stock levels or launching upcoming product innovations locally. Being very close and connected to various internal local teams, the global brand team, and external partners every day gives a real sense of variety which I enjoy.

You were previously working for Rémy Martin; how is the approach different for LOUIS XIII?
Luckily, I could use my Cognac knowledge from Rémy Martin and build on it. Our sustainability and CSR efforts, the way we work with our Alliance Fine Champagne, or our cooperage partnerships are very relevant for both Rémy Martin and LOUIS XIII.

Despite coming from the same House, LOUIS XIII is very different; the entire business model is different here in the UK. We operate a direct-to-client model and as a team we look after the entire business unit including all sales channels, always working hand in hand with other teams (sales, e-commerce, supply chain, finance) as well as handling all local marketing and PR initiatives. Finally, the philosophy and DNA of LOUIS XIII are unique, we are a luxury icon transcending the spirits category and this is reflected in everything we do.

Can you share a few upcoming challenges for the development of our brand in the UK?
We are extremely lucky to have a rich brand heritage plus unique craftsmanship credentials and unrivalled brand equity across the world. Nevertheless, I think each spirit and each luxury brand is always looking to recruit and nurture the next generation of clients and needs to find innovative ways to introduce new clients to our universe. Finally, luxury is more and more equated with sustainability and consciousness at its heart which are integral to LOUIS XIII and the Rémy Cointreau group. It’s great to see that it’s in even higher demand from consumers, so it’s also about how we portray our efforts and what we already do externally.

Your journey at Rémy Cointreau

It has been over 3 years since you joined our Group. What appealed to you in the first place and what keeps you motivated today?
Having worked at Harrods for four years in media and marketing for the food, wines & spirits department, I discovered my passion for (dark) spirits being especially fascinated by the agricultural processes and the skill of the Cellar Masters to create such wonderful liquids. Having been an integral part of the Wines & Spirits renovation in 2018, I knew I wanted to channel all my energy into a globally renown spirit brand whilst staying within the luxury segment. Rémy Cointreau just has the most incredible brands in the portfolio with real craftsmanship credentials whilst being a much smaller and agile group where I felt I could make a difference.

My team is wonderful, and we all bring different perspectives, personalities and skills to the table which is inspiring. I really enjoy working with my colleagues and the entire team, everyone I met and still meet is so positive, it creates a motivating, fun and supportive working environment. Developing new skills is also important to me which is why I wanted to progress internally.

Finally, at LOUIS XIII we think a century ahead: I love this concept of time and that our current Cellar Master Baptiste never sees the fruit of his labor, instead he passes them on to the next generation. We are here for a brief moment in the long history of LOUIS XIII, as guardians of an incredible legacy, which is exciting, and it comes with responsibility and is very grounding at the same time.

Can you share your best memory with us so far?
I love the reaction of people who hear the story of LOUIS XIII and enjoy it for the very first time: suddenly everything turns quiet and there is a mixture of surprise, emotion, trying to find words for an experience you cannot easily describe. It is fantastic to witness and can be quite emotional each time.

What would be your advice for someone who wishes to join the luxury sector and especially Rémy Cointreau?
An affinity to spirits or experience in the industry is definitely a plus, yet I think a lot of factual knowledge can be gained on the job as long as there is drive, energy and passion. I think there needs to be an understanding of our values and our company philosophy; an appreciation and humbleness of where we (and our products) come from and understanding this world is a people’s business is really important, I think you always go further as part of a strong team than alone.