About
Abbey Road Advisory was created upon an epiphany and an intuition, as I was flying back from my birth place Paris to my hometown New York City, on a cold January 2021 day: that more than ever, in a highly complex and disorientating (disorientated ?) world, the key was to build bridges. Especially in the Brands, Consumer, Retail world I had been working in for more than two decades.
Bridging the still-necessary traditional high-touch Retail with new digital, social media, Ecommerce realities.
Bridging geographies… bridging in particular North America and other global markets.
Bridging growth, profitability … and mission. Who cares wins.
Bridging generations, and talents. Leaders and their teams.
Bridging entrepreneurs and investors.
Abbey Road Advisory was born.
Providing investors’ advisory and leadership consulting services in capital raise, luxury brand strategy, growth strategy, business transformation and development, team buildup. Abbey Road Advisory supports mission-driven brands, businesses, their leaders and their investors, into their various transformational strategic crosswalks.
Like the Beatles, I never walk alone, and choose the most talented partners.
We work for and with good people, and choose our projects.
We provide strategic expertise and brains of course, but also the operational sense and a network built over decades. We just want things to make sense and to happen.
We work in various categories, luxury, and jewelry of course, but also Retail at large, Retailtech, beauty and care, food and beverage, new luxuries such as mobility, and even … outer space !
We have a passion for helping entrepreneurs to grow and blossom. When they do, we do.
ABOUT ME
I founded Abbey Road Advisory in May 2021, and run it. I am also an angel investor and a board member in several start-ups in the high-end consumer world, always being a keen advocate for luxury with a conscience.
Before that, I have had a 23-year journey with Richemont, leading successfully various Group regional businesses and global activities in Europe, Asia and Americas, and culminating as President & CEO of Richemont North America. In this last capacity, I focused my energy on not only running the region and the operations in a complex disruptive context (including the pandemic crisis management), but also shepherding long-term corporate initiatives such as the Richemont Retail Academy, CSR and D&I holistic platforms, and the dramatic Ecommerce pivoting in this part of the world.
I had initially joined the Group in 1998, in Paris and for Cartier, as Organization Project Manager; I was then appointed Cartier global Digital head in 2000, before moving in 2002 to Singapore as Managing Director for Cartier South-East Asia. In 2005, I became global Customer Service Director, in charge of the worldwide development of service in boutiques, after-sales service, CRM and Ecommerce. In 2010, I joined Van Cleef & Arpels as President & CEO for the Japan zone, where I guided a strong reshaping of the activity and oversaw a sharp rise of awareness and sales in the region, also leading the company through the Fukushima crisis. In 2013, eventually appointed as President & CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels Americas, I led the doubling of the revenue in 4 years, and heavy team and retail transformations, reinforcing Van Cleef & Arpels leadership in the region. And I learnt along the way what it means to run a business in America.
I graduated with a MS from Ecole Centrale Paris and started my career in the consulting field, at Ernst & Young in Paris.
Being actively engaged with my community is key to me, through various activities. I am committed to support the homeless in New York, with volunteering, mentoring and fundraising initiatives at the Bowery Mission, an organization for which I was chosen as 2020 and 2021 Gala Honoree. I have also kept ties with the academic world, continuing to transmit my experience in universities, I serve on the Boards of the New York Academy of Art, chair the Board of the Albertine Foundation and preside over the Retail Club of the French Founders business club. In 2021 I have been made a Knight of the French Legion d’Honneur.
I live in New York City with my empty-nested family. I am an avid runner (9-times marathoner including 6 NYC), triathlete (half-ironman Montauk 2019 was a highlight) and beginner guitar player, for the (dis)pleasure of my family and friends’ ears. One day I’ll play on stage, I wanna be rock star !
Alain
alain@abbeyroadadvisory.com
