Congratulations to all of the Winners:

Luxury Corporate Counsel
Winner: Melissa Roth, Global Vice President of Brand Protection, Burberry

This award is dedicated to an inhouse leader who demonstrates leadership and business acumen across the business and in the luxury sector.

Melissa Roth is not only held in high esteem from her peers in the luxury sector but admired for her skills in creating and managing a diversified, international legal group at this difficult time for global business whilst also having an outstanding track record of creating solutions for complex legal and brand protection issues.

Luxury Law Department  
Winner: LVMH Americas Team

In an extraordinary year, this small team stands out in the luxury sector. From making a substantial and measurable contribution to the company in a year which was dominated by a major transaction making the headlines and a pandemic, the LVMH Americas team gets accolades for its ability to interact effectively with the stakeholders in the organisation and its reputation externally amongst its peers.

Luxury Rising Star
Winner: Derek Morales, Senior Director, Intellectual Property, Ralph Lauren

Derek is cited by his peers as ‘one to watch’ and is also spotted at industry events, willing to share his knowledge and insights with others in the sector.

Sponsored by: McCarthy Tétrault

Luxury Business Leader
Winner:  Ulrike Gard, CEO, Mark Cross

This year’s winner has taken an American heritage brand aged 175 years old and developed a strategic roadmap making it relevant to today’s consumer through international expansion, enhancing its digital strategy and creating a vintage marketplace for its products as part of its efforts to enhance its sustainability.

Lifetime Achievement Award  
Winner: Brian Duffy, CEO of Watches of Switzerland

Brian Duffy, CEO of Watches of Switzerland has had a long career in the luxury marketplace – including nine years as Polo Ralph Lauren’s first European and Middle East President. He helped Watches of Switzerland go public in 2019 and has since expanded the business in the UK and the USA making it one of the world’s largest watch retailers with revenues of over a billion dollars.  A lifetime achiever in the luxury marketplace, with some side interests in football and music, Brian is this year’s Luxury Lifetime Award winner.

Sponsored by: Bennett Jones

Luxury Master Lifetime Award
Winner: Arrigo Cipriani

This is a special award given to an individual who has devoted their life to the luxury sector – from creating luxury businesses to giving back to the sector.

This year’s winner is a global legend in the hospitality sector.  Born in 1932, the year after his father, Giuseppe, opened the legendary Harry’s Bar in Venice, Arrigo graduated from Ferrara University with a law degree and started working at Harry’s Bar in 1957. Since then he has blazed a trail from hotels to food and drink, written books, shared his expertise with generosity and been an all-round Luxury trailblazer.