Shihao Xu George

Tell us about your career journey since you graduated from Glion and how it’s led you to your current position?

This is my first job after graduation from Glion in February 2019. To be honest, I never imagined I would work in luxury. I thought I would work in the hotel industry, or with my parents’ business. But my second internship at Hublot HQ completely changed my mind. After that, I knew what my passion is and what I want.

Describe your day-to-day responsibilities in your current role?

You’ll see there are the words ‘retail’ and ‘marketing’ in my title. So I get involved in many things! My main responsibility is to use historical Big Data to think about, and develop, strategies to maximize the revenue of our Japanese boutiques. I also support events with brand ambassadors and VIP guests, confirm the products displayed in the stores and help train our Japanese retail staff to receive overseas tourists. Last but not least, I also look at ways we can boost inbound tourist traffic.

Even in the luxury watch business, you can only sell to your customers when you truly understand the meaning of the price behind these premium products.

What are some of the main things you learned at Glion which you use in your current role?

I learnt how to be humble, respectful and flexible. Also, I chose finance for my last semester specialization which is very useful to me today. You might think finance has less connection with the luxury industry. But in the process of learning finance you learn how to take numbers seriously. Budgeting for marketing events, product pricing… it’s all about the numbers. Even in the luxury watch business, you can only sell to your customers when you truly understand the meaning of the price behind these premium products.

I learnt how to be humble, respectful and flexible.

What would be your career advice to current students and recent alumni of Glion?

Instead of sending 1000 emails to different countries and industries to find a vacancy, I would recommend spending more time to discover what industries and brand you truly love. The first job is very important, so do your best to find a choice that you will not regret.