If female empowerment is the spirit of the age, then Annastasia Seebohm is the zeitgeist personified. Over the course of a few years, she has steadily proven her worth within our organisation, resulting in her appointment earlier this year as Global CEO.
In her first interview since taking this new role, Annastasia tells us about her early life, her personal management style, and where she'd like to take Quintessentially in the future
Quintessentially: Tell us about your life before Quintessentially?
Annastasia Seebohm: I was raised in Oxfordshire, and I've always been very proud of my Greek heritage. I earned a BSc in International Business Management at Cardiff University. My career has included successfully founding and selling an e-commerce property business in London, and spending a number of years in Greece working with leading entrepreneurs.
Q: When and where did you join the organisation?
AS: I started in our Greek office before returning to London in 2012, where I worked alongside founders Ben Elliot and Aaron Simpson, spearheading global growth. I had the opportunity to move to New York in early 2016 and, as CEO of the US operation, I oversaw the strategic alignment of our nine offices in the Americas. It's been an amazing journey.
Q: What's your management style like?
AS: I believe in nurturing engaged and passionate employees through empowerment. I am inspired every day by the things I see our front-line Lifestyle Managers doing for their Members; this doesn't come from a job description, but from their passion, commitment and sheer joy in solving something that looks impossible to solve. I want to protect and nurture this culture through an open and agile environment. Ultimately leading by example, trusting people to do the right thing, and never asking anyone to do something I wouldn't do myself.
Q: Where do you want to take Quintessentially?
AS: Quintessentially represents the quintessence of what it is to understand the hopes and dreams of some of the world's most discerning people. My goal is to build on this unique business proposition, while always keeping our Members at the centre of our vision. Furthermore, we will continue to grow our agency business with the very best luxury partners, who inevitably give us the opportunity to further enhance the services and experiences we can offer our Members.
The world has changed enormously over the past 17 years. While our core mission remains the same, we continue to evolve, like every successful, intelligent business. I want to ensure that we remain the watchword for contemporary luxury lifestyle. People have become more exacting in their expectations, and there are a number of varied factors that influence and drive the services we offer. There's a thirst for experience; the pursuit of the rare; a desire to learn and engage with purpose-driven philanthropy. If we can meet those needs, both I and our Members will stay happy.
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Announcing Quintessentially's new Global CEO
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