From Heritage Brands to Digital Transformation: IE Alumni Shape the Luxury Industry

Luxury is changing, and fast. Craftsmanship and heritage still matter, but they’re no longer the whole story. Today, the world’s biggest luxury brands are being reshaped by data, new technology, and shifting global demands. Behind the scenes, executives are rethinking how these companies operate, from where materials come from to how they connect with customers online.

The worldwide luxury goods market is predicted to generate US $489.37 billion in revenue in 2026, with online sales expected to account for more than 14% of total luxury revenue by that year,  according to Statista, proof that the global luxury market continues to expand while adapting to new consumer behaviors. 

But behind these numbers there is a deeper transformation.

Exclusivity has traditionally been a defining feature of luxury, maintained through high price points, limited distribution, and carefully controlled brand narratives. Today, however, the sector must balance legacy with agility. Heritage brands are integrating digital strategy into centuries-old business models. 

In this evolving landscape, IE alumni are playing a defining role.

What does it take to lead a luxury powerhouse in a time of reinvention? Three IE alumni now steering some of the world’s most iconic houses—from Bvlgari to LVMH—are finding out firsthand. Tasked with balancing centuries-old craftsmanship and sharp, modern strategy, they bring a global outlook and a restless curiosity to the table. Their approach shows that heritage and transformation are not opposing forces, but strongest when working in tandem—an embodiment of the IE spirit: navigating uncertainty with confidence and leading with a vision that pairs innovation with integrity.

Excellence Behind the Scenes

For Rita A. Karam, Master in Business Analytics & Big Data and Master in Market Research and Consumer Behaviour, the path to LVMH Beauty reflects a career shaped by curiosity, innovation, and a deep understanding of people. Recognized during her time at IE for her academic excellence,  including being voted "Class Genius" and "Most Innovative and Creative",   Rita began her professional journey in clinical psychology, developing a strong foundation in human behavior.  Today, she serves as a Rewards/People Analytics Partner, where she uses analytics to help shape organizational strategy through its most valuable asset–its people.

Her professional journey began in an unexpected place, clinical psychology.

Understanding how people think, behave, and grow became the foundation of her leadership philosophy. But it was during her time at IE Business School that she discovered a new direction. 

"I was introduced to the world of data during my time at IE. That experience opened up a completely new direction for me."

Through the Master in Business Analytics & Big Data program, Rita began exploring how analytics could drive transformation within organizations. 

"Data sits at the heart of everything," Rita explains. "If your data isn't clean, you cannot transform. You cannot build. You cannot innovate". In the luxury space, where the "human touch" is paramount, Rita bridges the gap by translating technical depth into a business narrative. 

"Luxury is inherently international. You need to feel comfortable operating in cross-cultural environments where everyone brings a different perspective. IE gives you that exposure, take full advantage of it."

She credits IE’s Venture Lab for teaching her to lead change rather than react to it, training her to pitch innovation convincingly to executive leadership. Her experience at IE’s Venture Lab also played a pivotal role in shaping her leadership approach.

"It taught me not to be shaken by change, but to innovate through it, and, more importantly, to lead that change."

Rita encourages students to "Learn both languages. Master the technical side, but also master the business narrative. Be able to speak to engineers and analysts, but also to executives and brand leaders. The ability to translate between those worlds is what makes you indispensable."

The Strategic Engine: Procurement as a Driver of Innovation

Matteo Perondi, Maters in Business Administration and Managment IE, Chief Procurement Officer at Bvlgari, views luxury through a global lens sharpened by over 20 years of experience across consulting and industrial sectors. He challenges the traditional view of procurement as a back-office support function, positioning it instead as a powerful driver of resilience and competitive advantage and resilience.

For him, procurement and operations are the high-stakes engines of innovation and excellence that define a brand's competitive advantage in a volatile market.

At Bvlgari, Matteo is responsible for integrating the precision of data-driven decision-making into the intuition-heavy traditions of luxury. He views digital transformation not as a threat to heritage, but as a tool to preserve it. By moving toward a more transparent and agile global environment, he ensures that modern efficiency supports Bvlgari’s renowned craftsmanship.

"Technology is not a threat to craftsmanship, but a tool to preserve excellence, transparency, and agility in an increasingly complex global environment."

Matteo credits his time at IE University as the catalyst for his systemic approach to leadership. The program’s focus on diversity of thought and constant challenge pushed him out of his comfort zone, preparing him to manage the complexities of a global organization.

"Leadership is not about having all the answers, but about listening, adapting, and creating alignment," he reflects.

He explains that IE’s international environment trained him to navigate cultural nuances and communicate with clarity, skills he finds indispensable when leading large-scale transformations. 

"IE pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me understand that effective leadership is built on curiosity, collaboration, and the ability to manage ambiguity."

Matteo encourages students to look beyond "front-facing" roles to find the true heart of business strategy. 

"Operations and procurement shape product quality, sustainability, and financial performance," he notes. His advice is to remain curious, build deep analytical skills, and develop the ability to influence across functions, a mindset of "strategic curiosity" that remains a hallmark of the IE alumni community. 

Integrity in Every Carat: The Future of High Jewelry

Specializing in the "enigmatic nature" of natural gemstones, Kumud Wastrad, Director in High Jewelry- Diamond and Gem Acquisition at Tiffany&Co,  highlights that excellence in the jewelry market depends on an entire ecosystem, from mining communities to global markets. Kumud’s work is a dance between aesthetic beauty and the "unseen layers" of luxury: traceability and material science.

However, her journey from a Masters of Bussines Administration at IE, to studying accessory design at NIFT India and gemology at GIA New York taught her that the true value of a diamond is not just in its sparkle, but in its story. Now working with global powerhouses like LVMH, Kumud is a leading voice for a sector where heritage must meet uncompromising accountability.

Kumud says her Key Reflection Project (KRP) at IE reshaped her perspective on luxury. This academic deep-dive taught her to view luxury as a complex ecosystem, a global network of heritage, skilled labor, and economic interdependence.

According to Kumud, the luxury industry is currently undergoing a fundamental shift where ethical operations are no longer optional add-ons, but essential requirements for any brand’s survival. 

"The industry is moving toward greater transparency, full traceability, and heightened environmental accountability. Sustainability and ethical sourcing will no longer be differentiators, they will be baseline expectations."

While the customer sees a finished masterpiece, Kumud highlights that the highest level of luxury is actually supported by "unseen layers" of rigorous technical innovation. She balances the creative side of jewelry with data-driven systems.

"Innovation is transforming the unseen layers of luxury: traceability technologies, digital transparency tools, advanced gemstone analytics, and data-driven procurement optimization. While clients experience the finished masterpiece, innovation is redefining how it responsibly comes to life."

She believes that achieving excellence on a global scale requires a foundation of humility, where leaders listen to and value the expertise of local communities to build lasting, trust-based relationships.

"Building trust requires listening first, understanding context, and valuing long-term relationships over short-term gains. International exposure has reinforced patience, humility, and the importance of honoring local expertise within a global framework."

Kumud began her journey at IE University at the onset of COVID, a period that transformed global market studies into a real-time lesson in resilience. This experience made her work under pressure and manage the shifts and market volatility that define the jewelry trade today.

She credits IE for instilling in her the "executive presence" needed to lead in high-stakes environments, the confidence to articulate a strategic position while remaining open to evolving information. 

"IE fundamentally reshaped how I approach complexity by teaching me that excellence depends on alignment across an entire ecosystem, from mining communities to global markets, proving that diverse perspectives consistently produce the most durable solutions." 

She said she tells students thinking about this industry,  "Whether you are in procurement, strategy, or finance, you must understand the product, the materials, the supply chain, the craftsmanship," Kumud advises. "In high jewelry, depth of knowledge earns trust."

Luxury Industry and IE University

Rita, Matteo, and Kumud aren’t just individual success stories—they’re part of a wider ripple effect. Each has taken the lessons learned at IE and applied them at the very top of the luxury world, shaping brands that define taste and set global standards. Their journeys point to something bigger than personal achievement, a way of leading that values context as much as creativity, respects craftsmanship as much as growth, and pairs ambition with responsibility. For the next generation of IE leaders, they offer a quiet but powerful blueprint—know the landscape, protect what makes it special, and move it forward with purpose.