How consumer luxury company LVMH cultivates global leaders from Singapore

Q: Why has LVMH chosen Singapore as its talent hub for Southeast Asia?

NH: Singapore is a melting pot of cultures. There are so many different ethnicities, religions, and cultures living in complete harmony. I think that talent diversity is wonderful!

The calibre of talent here is a tremendous advantage, too. Singapore has got some of the best universities in the world. And I find Singaporeans are generally ready and willing to move out of Singapore and have international careers.

The country also has brilliant infrastructure, connectivity, a strong digital roadmap, a focus on innovation… These factors make it very attractive for talent to be here.

Location-wise, Singapore is the gateway to Southeast Asia and Oceania. This region is a very important growth engine for LVMH. Most of LVMH’s brands – like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Sephora, Bulgari, Tiffany & Co. – have also established regional headquarters in Singapore.

So, from all angles, it just makes sense for us to establish a talent hub for the region, in Singapore.
 

Q: Singapore is also the first country outside of France to host the LVMH SPRING Future Leaders Program. What makes this programme special, and why Singapore?

NH: The objective of the SPRING Future Leaders Program is to develop future leaders for LVMH. From nearly 2,000 applicants from top Singapore universities, only seven exceptional candidates were selected for the programme.

Through the programme, the successful candidates will experience three diverse stints, in three business functions, across three distinguished Maisons. They will also receive international exposure.

At LVMH, we believe in cross-Maison connections. As the world’s leading luxury goods group in six different sectors, we must create opportunities for our people to connect and share knowledge.

Developing talent is an obsession at LVMH – it is a key requirement for us! If we want to meet our business goals, we need to ensure we identify the right talent and support their growth. So, SPRING is just one of the many training and development programmes here at LVMH.

Q: Are there other LVMH talent initiatives that complement the SPRING programme?

NH: There are so many more. The LVMH Disrupt, Act, Risk to be an Entrepreneur (DARE) programme is a cornerstone of our talent development strategy. In essence, it is an intrapreneurship initiative where our talents across Maisons and regions can propose innovative ideas that can transform their business.

It culminates in the “DARE Championships”, where talents pitch their ideas to a jury of senior executives and entrepreneurs. The winning project would then receive a sponsorship and support to further develop their ideas. To date, the programme has led to the launch and acceleration of over 50 projects!

I believe that talent development should happen at all levels. So, our commitment to talent development extends to upper management like the Maison presidents and managing directors. We engage them in cross-Maison career development conversations.

One of the strongest levers we use for developing talent is also ensuring internal mobility. Through an internal framework, we empower talents to take the reins of their careers and fully leverage LVMH’s unique ecosystem.
 

Q: How have Singapore’s educational institutes and government initiatives supported LVMH’s talent development strategy?

NH: We have partnered with Singapore Management University (SMU) to establish the LVMH-SMU Asia Luxury Brand Research Initiative. It has helped us produce quality academic research on Asia’s luxury market, and given us access to a pool of engaged talents.

The LVMH Scholarship was established to motivate outstanding SMU undergraduates. We support promising talents early in their academic journey with professional opportunities, while strengthening our talent pipeline.

In addition, I think the new Overseas Market Immersion Programme, which supports Singaporean workers to take on overseas postings, is highly attractive and beneficial for businesses like LVMH. It will certainly facilitate our efforts to give international exposure to local employees.

Singapore’s innovative policies and initiatives make it easy for businesses to access talent not only from here, but from around the world.
 

Q: Lastly, for those considering a career in luxury, what do you think are essential for success at LVMH?

NH: Passion for the industry is key. And you must remain true to yourself.

Retail is at the heart of what we do. So, when you join LVMH, you must understand that the route to the top is through retail.

And be ready for a global career. People who join LVMH should have a global mindset that embraces international assignments. We believe that the exposure you get from working abroad in different teams, amongst different cultures, is just amazing in terms of career development.