Interview with Aude BOUSSER (ESC 1997)

Aude BOUSSER

ESC 1997

We have the pleasure to invite Aude BOUSSER (ESC 1997) to share with us her experience. She has created her own company, LBB Asia Limited, in Hong Kong.

Aude BOUSSER came to HK in 1997 right after finishing EMLYON and started working in the luxury industry with Cartier Far East as a product coordinator and manager. Then she came back in Cartier HQ in 2000 working with the jewelry team on product development and brand building team. In 2003, she joined Boucheron, which was just bought back by Gucci, working with the Gucci team for repositioning the brand being in charge of the product marketing on the jewelry offer.3 years later, she moved back to HK with her husband because of the love for the City and joined Van Cleef and Arpels Asia Pacific as Marketing and Communication director covering lots of markets: Mainland China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and India. We invited her to share with us her experience.

Why you decided to create your company? What are the main activities of your company?

In 2011 I decided to create my own company, LBB Asia Limited. I knew at that time that I wanted to stay in HK and I had acquired enough experience to fly by myself. I always had many ideas and lots of energy to be dedicated to making business, why not creating my own structure?

Because I wanted to lever on my own experience and also because I have a passion for the true luxury (long lasting products/service, high level of craftsmanship, lots of creativity to balance the tradition part and the modern part of the luxury industry, high level of service to customers), I decided to create a company in this very same field.

We have one activity of distribution and another one of consulting dedicated to premium and luxury brands house. We are developing the commercial activity (retail or wholesale) of the brands with which we are working along with the brand awareness and desirability. We are also using e-commerce platform particularly for the Chinese market.

Regarding the consulting activities: we are specialized in Premiumisation strategy: what are the levers for creating additional brand equity in this segment (distribution channel, products offers and communication support and channel to be used. We are also working on new retail platform advising the shopping mall in Greater China where we feel all look the same (differentiation strategy).

Last but not least we are advising private equity fund and more generally investors when it comes to buy a luxury brand helping them on the due diligence to depict the strengths and weaknesses of the brand, helping them as well to challenge the 5 years plan and to identify additional pocket of growth

What was the opportunity which brought you to China? Was the Asia appealing for you before you came here?

I came in Asia for the first time totally by chance. I was thinking staying a couple of months and I ended up living there for over 12 years now. I love the energy of this part of the world, everything is possible and everybody is willing to make business. Also HK administration makes the entrepreneur life very easy allowing us to spend most of our time dedicated to the clients.

According to you, what’s the specific business opportunity that you can find here in Asia but not in Europe? What’s the biggest challenge that you are facing?

The opportunity of Asia is a free market based on the offer/demand basis, the working law is very simple to understand and the administrative tasks reduced to its minimum. You can find some qualified people able to speak 3 to 4 languages. HK is a very cosmopolitan city where you feel as a citizen of the world.

The biggest challenge living in HK is not to be able to speak Cantonese. In the past 10 years, foreigners are pushed to learn mandarin but the street language is Cantonese so that you don’t really understand the local culture and it is very frustrating.

Does what you leant and experienced in EMLYON have an influence in your career life?

I believe EMLYON has a strong academic record but also pushed long time ago its students to work abroad and to discover new countries. We were quite numerous in 96 arriving in HK and the EMLYON team was quite dynamic. Also EMLYON helped to create an entrepreneur spirit and I am sure it helped me taking my decision almost 3 years ago.

And advice for alumni who wish to set their company in Hong Kong?

Of course to come in Asia, much simpler, with a very dynamic market and great people to help you to build a success story.