“You don't pivot. You fly.”

Angelina Nguyen is a globally recognised luxury strategist who spent decades at the top of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, Chanel, Cartier, Lanvin, and Bulgari, before becoming CEO of Issa London and Global President of Nirav Modi. Today she advises on luxury retail and branding strategy, alongside a Hong Kong nanotechnology company using AI to grade diamonds.

In this episode, you'll learn how she went from being handed the top marketing role at Chanel Asia Pacific at 26 to running Bulgari's business across Asia and the UK, the story behind Issa London's Banana Republic collaboration, and the one leadership quality she says holds true in every culture she's worked in.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Angelina went from being handed the top marketing role at Chanel Asia Pacific at 26 to running Bulgari's business across Asia and the UK
• How she came to be named a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, for her work fostering cultural exchange between France and China
• Why she believes leaders “fly” instead of “pivot,” and what that distinction actually means in practice
• The story behind Issa London's Banana Republic collaboration, and how it catapulted the brand to international recognition
• The one leadership quality she says holds true in every culture she's worked in, from Asia to Europe
• Why firing someone is the hardest decision she's ever had to make, and how she decides when it's really necessary

This is a conversation about reinvention, standards, and what it actually takes to lead at the highest levels of global luxury.

Mentioned in this episode:

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