Rethinking Prestige Branding Secrets of the Ueber-Brands

Gwen Whiting
Gwen is at the helm of design, product development, and production at The Laundress. When it comes to finding new and innovative ways to improve laundering and home cleaning, she’s not afraid to roll up her beautifully pressed, stain-free sleeves and get her hands dirty.
 
Prior to founding The Laundress, Gwen worked at Ralph Lauren as a senior designer for the Ralph Lauren Home Collection, a position she held for five years. Previously, she worked in Women’s Wear Design and Polo Store Development, also at Ralph Lauren.

Lindsey J. Boyd
With her finger on the pulse of the retail industry, Lindsey serves as the resident sales and marketing expert for The Laundress. Over the years, she has forged a range of relationships with diverse sales partners throughout the world. Lindsey brings The Laundress experience to delighted customers near and far.
 
Before founding The Laundress, Lindsey was the manager of U.S. sales for Chanel Ready-to-Wear, where she trained and managed boutique and large wholesale accounts. Prior to her tenure at Chanel, Lindsey worked in product development and corporate sales for Brooks Brothers.

Gwen and Lindsey are both graduates of Cornell University’s Fiber Science, Textile and Apparel Management and Design program.

Ian Ginsberg, president of C.O. Bigelow, the oldest pharmacy in America, has kept the historic pharmacy tradition alive in today’s modern society. Ian’s history with C.O. Bigelow began when his grandfather bought the business in the late 1930s. 

After becoming a licensed pharmacist in 1985 and not being fully satisfied working in that capacity, Ian set out to create his own niche in the family business at C.O. Bigelow.
 
Year after year, Ian scours the globe to orchestrate a supreme collection of beauty imports such as Marvis toothpaste from Italy and La Crème Opalis from France. Luxury products like Les Fleurs de Bach to the Bath and Fragrance Collection from the Hotel Costes validate the C.O. Bigelow slogan,“If you can’t find it anywhere else, try Bigelow.” 

Hailed by WWD as “The Pharmacy Guru”

Jan-Patrick (JP) Kuehlwein is co-author of the book “Rethinking Prestige Branding: Secrets of the Ueber-Brands” and Executive Vice President of Frédéric Fekkai, a New York-based prestige salon operator and hair care brand.  He is also an Outside Director of Smith & Norbu, a Hong Kong luxury optical frame maker. Previously, JP was Managing Director of Global Strategy & Innovation - Premium Consumer, spearheading Procter & Gamble's capability and business development in the premium brand space.  

A graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce, Reims (France), Reutlingen University (Germany) and  Lancaster University (UK), JP is regularly involved in lecturing, consulting workshops and public speaking. He is a member of the Industry Advisory Board, Executive Mentor, and guest lecturer for the Master's Program in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City and a member of the CMO Council and the Marketing Science Institute (MSI) in Boston.

Mark Cieslinski is the President of Moleskine America. He leads the growth of the Moleskine brand in the United States, Canada, and South America. Prior to joining Moleskine, Mark accumulated over 20 years of experience in consumer product strategy; as SVP of Sales at Help Remedies, Inc.; VP of Sales and Marketing at Mentholatum; and in various sales and management roles at General Mills. He holds a BA from SUNY Buffalo and an MBA from Canisius College. 

“The team at Moleskine America is dedicated to providing platforms and solutions that help our fans capture memories, ignite imagination and produce creative solutions. We want to be part of their journey and look forward to helping them write their story.”

Wolfgang Schaefer is co-author of the book “Rethinking Prestige Branding:  Secrets of the Ueber-Brands." He is Chief Strategic Officer at SelectNY, one of the world’s leading premium brand-building networks. Wolf has been building global brand strategies for over 20 years in Europe, the U.S. and the Asia Pacific for companies as diverse as PepsiCo, P&G, Unilever, Coty and Nestle. His main expertise lies in prestige brands such as Davidoff, Chopard, Swarovski, and Lancaster amongst many others. Holding an MA from the University of the Arts Berlin, Wolf is co-located between NYC and Berlin and is a frequent lecturer at universities and conferences in the U.S. as well as Europe.