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Pauline Brown

Author of Aesthetic Intelligence and Former Chairman of LVMH North America

Oversaw a portfolio of more than 70 LVMH brands in five different luxury/retail sectors
Currently serves on the Board of the Neiman Marcus Group
Designed and teaches an innovative marketing course, called “The Business of Aesthetics.” Currently on faculty at Columbia Business School and previously, at Harvard Business School
Runs an online learning platform for executives called Aesthetic Intelligence Labs
Shows companies why and how to place customer delight at the center of all business strategies

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For 30 years, Pauline Brown has acquired, built, and led the world’s most influential luxury brands. She is the former Chairman of North America for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, where she provided regional leadership for 70 brands in five sectors including fashion and leather goods, watches and jewelry, perfume and cosmetics, wine and spirits, and selective retailing. Earlier in her career, she held senior executives positions at The Carlyle Group, Estée Lauder and Avon. She began her management career at Bain & Co.

In 2021, Pauline launched an innovative e-learning platform, called Aesthetic Intelligence Labs, which teaches executives and entrepreneurs how to build brands that stand out, careers that thrive, and businesses that last. The platform is an extension of a popular course she introduced at Harvard Business School in 2017 and currently teaches at Columbia Business School, and is described in her groundbreaking book, "Aesthetic Intelligence: How to Boost It and Use It in Business and Beyond," which was published by HarperCollins in 2019.

In addition to teaching and writing, Pauline also serves on several corporate boards, including Neiman Marcus Group, and hosts a weekly talk show on SiriusXM. Pauline received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. Since 2008, she has been a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.

Pauline boasts unparalleled expertise when it comes to understanding why and how a company’s aesthetic value unleashes financial value. Touching on strategies that have helped the world’s most successful businesses not only survive, but thrive in the age of Amazon, she explains how companies can win through eliciting delight among their customers and creating desirability among those who aspire to them. In her talks, Pauline shows business leaders how to tap into, cultivate and capitalize on the power of their own aesthetic senses—a critical and oftentimes under-developed skill set for businesspeople —and use them to overcome challenges, strengthen their competitive positions, and balance their short-term commercial needs with their long-term aesthetic imperative.

Speaker Video

Pauline Brown: The Business of Aesthetics

The Power of Aesthetic Intelligence | Pauline Brown

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The Aesthetic Imperative. Why are some products and companies considered “beautiful” or “cool”? What’s the difference between a million-dollar abstract painting and paint splattered on a canvas? Why do some companies experience exponential growth while others remain stagnant or even begin to decline? How can you enhance the pull of your own brand, services, products, or spaces?

As Pauline Brown explains in this eye-opening and thought-provoking presentation, aesthetics is not just a critical component of luxury goods. On the contrary, it is critical to all companies – even those traditionally built on other advantages, like scale, share, speed, or technological edge. Here, she touches on what questions businesses need to ask themselves to remain relevant, how to measure and evaluate what’s “cool,” how to optimize your product or brand for a modern audience, and how to tap into the value of design and style. A dynamic presentation for corporations looking to reinvent their strategy or start-ups looking to create a footprint, this talk helps groups think about that intangible “it” factor in a meaningful way that generates important conversations and leaves them with practical takeaways.