MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Executive Program to Take Place in Shanghai and Singapore

MasterCard, together with the ESSEC Business School, is offering the MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Executive Program for the fourth year running. The program is designed to equip professionals in the luxury retail and services industry with an understanding of current branding, management and consumer trends.

This year, the program focuses on the understanding of key challenges and changing dynamics of the luxury business as well as luxury brand development. The program offers insights on one of the fastest-growing markets – the affluent Chinese consumers. The course will incorporate an analysis of the luxury consumer market, the geographic distribution of China’s affluent consumers and the different regional characteristics.

“The luxury industry has seen exponential growth in emerging and yet diverse markets in Asia/Pacific such as China with multiplication of new store openings beyond the first tier cities. Luxury conglomerates have been and will continue to recruit the best talents to advance growth and replicate best global practices coupled with local knowledge to elevate their brand experience for new consumers,” said Michel Phan, Assistant Professor of Marketing and LVMH Chaired Professor at ESSEC Business School in Paris. “The course will give participants an understanding of current luxury consumption trends and allow them to integrate this into an efficient emotional branding strategy.”

The MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Executive Program comprises scholarships for a four-day intensive course run by the prestigious ESSEC Business School. The scholarships are partially sponsored by MasterCard Worldwide and the rest of the fees are paid for by the participants or the corporations in which they work. The renowned French institution runs the world’s only luxury brand management MBA program, which has become a reference point for the global luxury industry. This unique curriculum had previously only been taught at ESSEC’s campus in France. Through the MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Executive Program, selected modules have been made available to students in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

This year, recipients can choose to attend the program in Singapore or Shanghai, the emerging luxury capital of Asia and gateway into the Chinese market. A total of 15 partial scholarships will be offered to each program location.

“As the face of the brands, professionals in the luxury sector need to stay relevant and be informed with market changes to chart the growth of the business. The course provides insights into the diverse markets with recent case studies on how they can grow their brands effectively. MasterCard is committed to bringing this priceless learning opportunity to the privileged few who can make the difference to the luxury industry,” said Georgette Tan, vice president, Communications, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide.

Recipients from past years include representatives from Chanel, Citibank, Gucci, Hermès, Hyundai Card, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, Lufthansa, Meritus Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resort and Taishin International Bank. The program’s emphasis on Asia struck a chord with the recipients.

“The MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Executive Program is a must. The professors were thought-provoking and impactful in their delivery. It was a great program facilitated by an outstanding faculty. This is a must for future retail luxury leaders,” June Ngan, regional training manager, Hermès Asia Pacific Ltd.

“The MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management program was a great forum to meet like-minded luxury professionals from various industries. The program allowed wide-ranging discussions and provided valuable insights on how to maximize understanding and effectiveness of branding luxury products and services. I would highly recommend,” Nick Downing, director of operations, Ativa Hospitality.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the four-day MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Executive Program. It has given me new insights on trends and strategies in our industry. The participants shared experiences and the discussions were relevant and interactive. I would definitely recommend this program to my colleagues,” Pearl Ong, chief financial officer, Gucci Group Singapore & Malaysia.

 This year’s recipients who received the partial scholarships will attend the program from 7 to 10 May in Shanghai or 8 to 11 October in Singapore. They will receive an intensive and hands-on learning experience over four days of lectures and training. The program will be conducted in English.

Admission to the MasterCard-ESSEC Luxury Brand Management Program is based on a rigorous selection process. Professionals currently employed in the luxury industry in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa are invited to apply. All applications will be reviewed by a MasterCard-ESSEC academic panel, which will determine a select group of 30 scholars in total. Course graduates will be awarded internationally-recognized certificates by ESSEC Business School.

The deadline for application is March 31 for Shanghai session and July 30 for Singapore session.

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