October 16th, 2018 | Alessandro Bogliolo, Tiffany & Co.’s Ceo

On September 16, GRLA had the honor of hosting Alessandro Bogliolo, Tiffany & Co.’s CEO. Mr. Bogliolo has been the CEO of Tiffany for the past year, and has invigorated the brand with his sense of newness and immeasurable experience, outcome of many years in C-Suite positions of companies such as Bvlgari, Sephora, and Diesel. With his charisma and Italian charm, Mr. Bogliolo enticed his audience to the fantasy of the world of Tiffany & Co. and the luxury industry. Throughout the talk, he touched upon the many enigmas of cultivating a tradition behind a 181-year-old brand while speaking the language of the fast-changing 21st century. As described by Mr. Bogliolo, for a company in the luxury industry, the brand is the company’s most important asset. According to him, through branding one can create a special tie to customers, resulting from the creation of “trust through a promise.” The metaphor used by Mr. Bogliolo to describe this phenomenon is as follows: the brand is like the DNA of a person. It is the backbone to everything else the company will create. The brand defines the company, however the experiences and environment the brand goes through add to the company. In successful, long-lasting companies they do so while remaining loyal to the brand. Just like a book that continues to be written every day.

To satisfy the curiosity of the audience, Mr. Bogliolo shared what he believes is the key to success of any great leader: being a citizen of the world. He believes that there are many things that one can learn, but that the sense of truly understanding the world, nobody can teach you. To succeed in today’s truly globalized environment, one needs to acquire a truly global sense of perspective. According to him, he sees himself as a chameleon. “I adapt to the person in front of me. However, it is not that my nature changes, but part of me just adjusts to the environment,” he explained. As a leader, one will deal with a multiplicity of people and cultures. The most important point is to be yourself, but develop an ability to empathize and truly interact with the world. Alessandro Bogliolo greatly impressed us with his success in the past years and with the sense of newness he brought to Tiffany. Thanks to his charisma, his understanding of the world and his ambitions, he is a role model to look up to and by whom to be inspired. Thank you to Alessandro Bogliolo and the Tiffany & Co. team for such an incredible first event of the year - you have set the bar high!