More than 190 nationalities and people from four generations across 80-plus countries work in LVMH's 75 houses. Image: LVMH
France’s LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, has debuted a new video series that offers inspiring and moving snapshots of the diversity within its ranks worldwide.
The Paris-based company’s ‘It’s Everyone’s Business’ is a series of first-person accounts that showcase how the group supports the professional and sometimes personal growth of its employees without regard to their background and differences.
LVMH lays out its vision of a corporate culture that is “diverse by essence and inclusive by choice,” the company said in a statement.
The company, owner of brands such as Louis Vuitton, Loro Piana, Tiffany & Co., Dom Perignon, Cheval Blanc and Christian Dior, claims more than 190 nationalities and people from four generations across 80-plus countries work in its 75 houses.
“The group is, by definition, multicultural,” LVMH said in a statement. “LVMH views this diversity and cross-fertilization of perspectives as a tremendous source of creativity and performance.”
Here, viewed through the prism of diversity, equity and inclusion, are the eight episodes of LVMH talent sharing their experiences working at LVMH and its many brands.
Episode 1: “You can’t be what you can’t see” — Rodney Pratt
Rodney Pratt, chief legal officer of LVMH North America, stresses the importance of representation. He recounts how his path continues to influence his day-to-day decisions and enables him to be a committed actor in change in the community and beyond.
Episode 2: “I wanted to meet women that I could identify with.” — Léa Baudin
Léa Baudin joined Guerlain and the LVMH Group in 2013. A few years later, she was a winner of the DARE intrapreneurial program with the idea for SHERO, an internal women’s empowerment platform. Now head of marketing and director at Benefit, France, she talks about her personal and professional growth at a group which values the individuality of its people.
Episode 3 : “Your name is something important. You should defend it.” — Pareesa Nikpourfard
In this episode, Pareesa Nikpourfard, senior director of talent development and engagement at Dior in New York, recounts how a single event changed her perception of her difference. A first-generation Iranian immigrant to the United States, she learned to embrace her culture in a new environment, helping her become someone with considerable kindness and empathy, qualities she draws on each day in engaging with the people with whom she works.
Episode 4: “My father and grandfather gave me this love of the land” — Toni El Khawand
Château d’Yquem cellar master Toni El Khawand talks about “the power of transmission” and “respect for traditions.” Born and raised in Lebanon, Toni shares his special relationship with his grandfather, who imparted to him a deep love of the land. He discusses how this relationship has informed his métier, leading him to forge great respect for the traditions and unique savoir-faire that define Bordeaux.
Episode 5: “I knew that I had to find a place where I felt like I could belong and call home” – Randy Baran
Randy Baran, talent, development and engagement manager at Christian Dior Couture Americas, talks about the struggles of people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community and the group’s role in advancing their rights. Having joined LVMH in 2017, he looks back on his first participation in a Pride march wearing the group’s colors, an event that helps give greater visibility to LVMH’s inclusive culture.
Episode 6: “The job makes us grow as people, thanks to those encounters” – Charlotte Puissant
Charlotte Puissant, previously head housekeeper at Cheval Blanc Courchevel and currently directrice des appartements at Cheval Blanc Paris, recounts how the vast diversity of origins among both staff and guests makes each day a moment of sharing and transmission around the discovery of other cultures. She emphasizes that this métier is tremendously enriching from a human perspective and brings her an open-minded ethos that she shares each day with her family as well.
Episode 7: “It’s not about stressing in what way you are different. It’s more about creating connections between people rather than being isolated” – Danni Yang
Danni Yang, retail management trainee at Louis Vuitton, recounts how the group’s reverse mentoring program helps achieve greater equity in the company by encouraging people to share their views, regardless of their position. With her Chinese cultural background, she talks about how the sense of diversity she feels at LVMH has helped her express herself as a person, and not simply within the framework of her origins and culture.
Episode 8: “I have a position that allows me to be heard and promote this change” – Sarah Curtis Henry
As an African American woman, Sarah Curtis Henry quickly became aware of her differences and the existing divisions in society. Now, as the chief commercial officer for North America at Parfums Christian Dior, she shares in this episode how her position enables her to bring her unique perspective and speak effectively to an increasingly diverse consumer base.