María Eugenia Girón

Independent Board member with expertise in growth of high value branded consumer goods business.

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María Eugenia Girón
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Eugenia is Executive Director of IE Premium & Prestige Business Observatory. She serves at the Board of
Directors of Corporacion Financiera Alba, Real Fábrica de Tapices and Oceana as well as being Chairman of
Fundación Diversidad. Expert in global premium brands strategy, growth and sustainable business
development. She has 20 years of experience in the premium and luxury industry having led Loewe
International, as CEO of Carrera y Carrera after leading the MBI and as Executive Chairman of Le Chameau.
Active angel investor in tech start-ups. She has Industrial Engineer degree of ICAI and Harvard Business School MBA. Awarded as Best Women Executive of Spain in 2004 and Top 100 in 2017.

About Me

Full Name : Maria Eugenia Girón Dávila

Email : mgiron@megadvise.com

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Academic work

Research & Teaching.

  • IE PREMIUM & PRESTIGE BUSINESS OBSERVATORY as Founder & Executive Director 2010 to Present

    The Centre, sponsored by MasterCard, conducts applied research on luxury and premium consumption and serves as a reference on state of the art thinking and trends in the premium and luxury industry. Leads investigative research into the impact of technology on consumer behaviour, values on consumer decision-making, and the links between consumption of premium products and services and global urban travel trends. https://www.ie.edu/ie-foundation/applied-research/chairs/observatory-premium-prestige-market/

  • IE BUSINESS SCHOOL as Adjunct Professor, Premium & Luxury Entrepreneurship 2000 to Present

    One of the leading Business Schools in the world; The Financial Times ranked it the best Business School in Europe in 2012 and 2013, while Forbes ranked it #5 worldwide in 2013.

  • INCAE as Member of Advisory Board 2018

    Centro de Liderazgo Collaborative. http://www.incae.edu/es/directorio/prof-maria-eugenia-giron.html

  • MIT as Associate Professor 2018

    Fashion Management Executive Program. http://fashionluxuryprogram.elle.fr/faculty/

  • Awards for Sustainable Premium & Luxury Entrepreneurship as Co-founder 2011

    Awards for Sustainable Premium & Luxury Entrepreneurship in 2011 to presented by IE. https://www.ie.edu/business-school/the-school/newsevents/ie-business-school-awards-the-sustainability-in-the-premium-and-luxury-sectors/

Board experience

Former CEO, leader, and entrepreneur in premium and luxury goods industry. Today combines the academic activity with a corporate governance focus serving at the boards of leading companies (public and private) and institutions.

  • CORPORACION FINANCIERA ALBA as Member, Board of Directors 2016 to Present

    Listed Spanish investment holding established in 1986. The company is part of Grupo March, one of the main business and financial Spanish family-owned groups also integrated by Banca March and Fundacion Juan March. The strategic investments of the Group are made via Alba. Member, Board of Directors. Member, Operations Committee. Member Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Member Audit Committee. http://www.corporacionalba.es/

  • ICA (Instituto de Consejeros Administradores) as Member of the Board 2017 to Present

    ICA, INSTITUTO DE CONSEJEROS Y ADMINISTRADORES. Madrid, Spain. Member of the Board, Member of the Audit Committee.

  • Real Fabrica de Tapices as Member, Advisory Board 2010 to Present

    REAL FABRICA DE TAPICES, ROYAL TAPESTRY FACTORY, Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1726 to supply Spanish royal palace and court with tapestries, is today the leading high-end tapestry and carpet designer and manufacturer counterpart of French Gobelins. Member, Advisory Board. http://realfabricadetapices.com/

  • FUNDACION PARA LA DIVERSIDAD as Chairman, Board of Trustees 2010 to Present

    FUNDACION PARA LA DIVERSIDAD, Madrid, Spain. Promotes diversity in the workforce. Chairman, Board of Trustees (2015). Member, Board of Trustees

  • OCEANA as Member, International Board of Trustees. Treasurer 2007 to Present

    OCEANA, Washington DC, US. Largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation, protecting marine ecosystems and endangered species; founded in 2001. Member, International Board of Trustees. Treasurer 2014-Present. Member, Nominating Committee, 2012 - 2014

  • IE UNIVERSITY as Member, Board of Trustees 2009 to Present

    INSTITUTO DE EMPRESA (IE) UNIVERSITY, Segovia and Madrid, Spain. Privately held under-graduate school and one of the top ranked universities in Europe offering students an international, humanistic and entrepreneurial perspective. Member, Board of Trustees.

  • GRUPO SUAREZ as Member, Advisory Board 2011 to 2018

    GRUPO SUAREZ, Madrid, Spain. Private family owned company and jewellery retailers of Suarez and Aristocrazy brands, serving with the Chairman as one of the two independent members of the Board. Member, Advisory Board.

  • PEDRO GARCIA as Member & Advisory Board 2009 to Present

    PEDRO GARCIA, Madrid, Spain. Private family owned company and luxury shoe manufacturer and brand; primary international markets include the US, Italy, and Hong Kong. Member (first independent member), Advisory Board. https://www.pedrogarcia.com/eu_es/

  • SAVELLI as Independent Director 2013 to 2016

    SAVELLI, Geneva, Switzerland. Start-up company developing a new luxury phone for women, currently on its Round-D capital raise. Independent Director.

  • SILVERCLOUD INVESTMENTS as Chairman of the Board 2011 to 2013

    SILVERCLOUD INVESTMENTS, London, UK. Investment vehicle for investments in luxury brands. Chairman of the Board.

  • LE CHAMEAU as Chairman of the Board 2012 to 2013

    LE CHAMEAU, France. First investment of Silvercloud. Chairman of the Board.

  • TRIAS as Independent Director & Advisor 2010 to 2012

    TRIAS, Madrid, Spain. Launching of a global fashion brand. Independent Director & Advisor.

  • GASTON Y DANIELA as Member & Advisory Board 2008 to 2011

    GASTON Y DANIELA, Madrid, Spain. Private family owned company and home textile distributor of high-end brands in 20 countries. Member (first independent member), Advisory Board.

Entrepreneurship

With a corporate governance focus serving at the boards of leading companies (public and private) and institutions as well as an entrepreneurial approach to the digital transformation as active business angel.

  • EUROPEAN COMMISSION as Instrument expert jury member 2018

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Brussels SME Instrument expert jury member, 2018.

  • Rising tide Europe III as Founder, Board member 2018 to Present

    RISING TIDES EUROPE III, Luxemburg. European Investment Holding. Founder, Deal Leader.

  • RISING TIDES EUROPE II as Founder, Deal Leader 2017 to Present

    RISING TIDES EUROPE II, Luxemburg. European Investment Holding. Founder, Deal Leader.

  • RISING TIDES EUROPE I as Founder, Deal Leader 2015 to Present

    RISING TIDES EUROPE I, Luxemburg. European Investment Holding. Founder, Deal Leader. https://go-beyond.biz/about/news/1459159263-rising-tideeurope-90-women-across-4-continents-innovating-cross-border-angel

  • GO BEYOND as Member 2013 to Present

    GO BEYOND, Geneva, Switzerland. Early stage investing network. Led establishment of a chapter in Spain. Deal leader for 24FAB, on line rental of high fashion; Madrid, Spain. Member. https://go-beyond.biz/

  • SOUTH SUMMIT as Member Advisory Board 2011 to Present

    SOUTH SUMMIT, Madrid, Spain. Investor and start-up ecosystem annual gathering. The event of reference for southern countries including Mediterranean and Latam. Member Advisory Board.

  • CARRERA Y CARRERA as Leader of "Management Buy In” MBI with "3i” 1999

    CARRERA Y CARRERA, leader of "Management Buy In” with PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTOR “3i” 1999.

Executive Experience

Served as CEO of Carrera y Carrera after leading a Management Buy-In with private equity 3i and as Executive Chairman of Le Chameau. Loewe International Director, JV with LV that led to the acquisition by LVMH in 1996.

  • CARRERA Y CARRERA as Chief Executive Officer 1997 to 2006

    • Led and coordinated the Management Buy-In of the company from 1998 to 1999 and the 3X exit in 2006. • Directed the re-launch of the brand including a new corporate strategy. • Developed an international strategy that expanded the company into 30 countries with 18 exclusive boutiques • Instituted a Product Design and Development strategy for new collections • Developed a Marketing and Communication strategy

  • LOEWE S.A as Vice President 1992 to 1997

    LOEWE SA as VICE President of Leather Goods & Accesories, VP Loewe Internacional 1992 to 1997.

  • THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO as Senior Financial Analyst 1988 to 1990

    THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO, Madrid, Spain 1988-1990 Senior Financial Analyst.

Awards and recognitions

Recognized as the best women executive in Spain in 2004 and Top 100 women in 2017.

2017

Top Professor MBA

Recipient, Top Professor MBA, 2017, IE Business School

2017

Top 100 women in Spain

Recipient, Top 100 women in Spain. Top 10 experts and thinkers.

2016

Subject of IE Business School multimedia case

Subject of IE Business School multimedia case: “The Entrepreneurial Journey of a Manager” in the academic area of entrepreneurship.

2013

Member, Investor Panel

Member, Investor Panel, TU OPORTUNIDAD, Spanish Dragons Den, Madrid, Spain. Television series featuring entrepreneurs pitching business ideas in order to secure investment finance from a panel of investors.

2004

The Best Women Executive in Spain

Recipient, The Best Women Executive in Spain Award by FEDEPE.

Publications

Author, editor and active content generator.

My Causes

Environment advocacy and the impulse of diversity and women leadership shapes and impact everything I do.

Oceana Board member

Environment and Sustainability

Oceana, founded in 2001, is the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation. Oceana seeks to make our oceans as rich, healthy, and abundant as they once were by winning policy victories in the countries that govern much of the world's marine life.

Chairman Fundacion Diversidad

Diversity and Women Leadership

Fundacion para la Diversidad tiene como objetivo impulsar la inclusión de la gestión de la diversidad en España en empresas e instituciones. La Comisión Europea otorga a una institución por país el desarrollo e implementación del Charter de la Diversidad, siendo Fundación Diversidad la encargada en exclusiva de esa misión en España. ya son mas de 800 empresas las que han firmado el Charte.

Education

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world” Nelson Mandela.

  • Columbia Business School, 2018

    Executive Education, Columbia Business School, NY, Digital Business Strategy.

  • YPO Singularity University Program, 2018

    YPO Singularity University Program, 2018.

  • Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, 1992

    MBA, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, Boston, MA 1992. Consulting - Customer Loyalty, Estee Lauder International, New York, NY, 1992. Marketing Consultant to CEO, Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, 1991.

  • Technical School of Industrial Engineering (ICAI), 1988

    Bachelor & Master of Engineering Degrees, Technical School of Industrial Engineering (ICAI), Universidad Pontitificia de Comillas, Madrid, Spain.

Blog

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La moda post-COVID

María Eugenia Girón, presidenta de la Fundación para la Diversidad: «Una crisis así exige organización, compromiso y liderazgos inclusivos»

Aplausos a los pioneros de la moda en tiempos del covid-19

AFFILIATIONS

Short text here.

IE Business School
Mastercard
Oceana
Fundacion Diversidad
Harvard
Rising Tide
Comillas
Singularity
Instituto de Consejeros-Administradores
Woman
YPO

Other Affiliations

“When you learn, teach. When you get, give” Maya Angelou.

  • HARVARD CLUB as Member of the Board 2017 to Present

    Member of the Board, HARVARD CLUB of Spain.

  • "Fuera de Serie" Awards as Member of the Jury 2015 to Present

    Member of the Jury, "Fuera de Serie" Awards

  • Women Corporate Directors as Co-Chair 2015 to Present

    Member, Women Corporate Directors, WCD. Co-founder Spanish Chapter. Speaker at WCD Family Business Summit, NY 2016

  • AED as Vice President 2015 to 2017

    Vice President, AED (Asociación Española de Directivos) Madrid

  • SPAIN NATIONAL FASHION AWARDS as Member of the Jury 2014

    Member of the Jury. SPAIN NATIONAL FASHION AWARDS.

  • EMPRENDEX as Member, Advisory Board 2013 to Present

    Member, Advisory Board, EMPRENDEX, Madrid, Spain. Provides entrepreneurs microcredits for projects serving the base of the economic pyramid.

  • ASHOKA SPAIN as Advisor 2012 to Present

    Advisor, ASHOKA SPAIN, Madrid, Spain. Provides support to advance social entrepreneurship globally as the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide with nearly 3,000 fellows in 70 countries.

  • THE SOUTH SUMMIT as Member, Advisory Board 2012 to Present

    Member, Advisory Board, THE SOUTH SUMMIT, Madrid, Spain. The major meeting point in Madrid for investors, companies and entrepreneurs. Member, Selection Committee, 2011 – Present.

  • European Board, YPO as Member 2010 to 2011

    Member, European Board, YPO (Young Presidents Organization) Madrid, Spain 2010 - 2011. Chair Madrid Chapter, 2005 - 2007 / Member, YPO/WPO, 2005 - Present

My Hobbies

Art, nature, travelling in Asia and public speaking are a source of energy.

Nature
Art
Public Speaking
Project Image

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