Thought Leadership

Niki Leondakis, President & Chief Executive Officer at CorePower Yoga, has been a yoga enthusiast for many years.  The company is based in Denver, CO, and is positioned for growth with Niki responsible for the portfolio of the brand.  Over the past two years, she has been partnering with her team and their Board members to ensure that the company is authentic to both existing and new members.  She has utilized her diverse background to ensure that each aspect of the company is a customized experience. 

Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, President & Chief Executive Officer, Americas, and Global Head of the Luxury Practice at ESW (formerly eShopWorld) is known for being a transformational leader possessing a proven record in digital innovation, customer experience, global brand development, and international strategy.  His earlier background with other well-known global brands included EMAAR Malls PJSC, owner of The Dubai Mall, and Marks and Spencer PLC.  Patrick’s tenure also includes working within the beauty, cosmetic, and fragrances industry with The Estee Lauder Companies, Parfums Christian Dior at LVMH, and Elizabeth Arden spanning e-commerce, retail and wholesale globally is immense.  Additionally, Patrick has served as a Board Member actively participating with Brown-Forman, Flow Water, HSNi, Purdue University, Prince’s Trust to name a few.

Kevin Corning is President, Latin America for Bata Corporation – a family-owned business founded in 1894, and the world’s second-largest shoemaker by volume, known for innovation and designing stylish and comfortable footwear.  He is based in Santiago, Chile, and is responsible for leading this omnichannel footwear and accessories business with 1000 stores and operations in six countries, including DTC, along with three manufacturing factories.  His current role is a comprehensive range of accountability including creative ideation, merchandising, brand marketing, product development, supply chain, and emerging technology.  Given Kevin’s diverse and well-rounded international background and having worked within the consumer package goods, industrial, accessories, apparel, and footwear sectors, he is able to contribute significant knowledge and a fresh perspective to many facets of the business.

Jill Granoff, Managing Partner of global private equity giant Eurazeo and CEO of its Brands division focused on high growth consumer and retail brands. Based in New York, she is responsible for leading investment activities and overseeing the performance of Brands’ portfolio companies globally. Jill is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience leading consumer-driven companies.  She is best known as a strategist and brand builder in the beauty, fashion, and retail industries. Prior to this, she was the CEO of Vince, where she led its IPO achieving a $1B market cap. 

Prior to this role, Jill was the CEO of Kellwood Company and Kenneth Cole Productions. Earlier in her career, she held executive positions at Estee Lauder, Victoria’s Secret, and Liz Claiborne, where she had global responsibility for Kate Spade, Juicy Couture, and Lucky Brand.  She has also served on the boards of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Demandware (now Salesforce Commerce Cloud), Cosmetic Executive Women, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is a long-standing member of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and has received numerous awards and recognition for her visionary leadership.The Brownestone Group’s Tim Boerkoel conversed with Jill to discuss the major pivots in her career journey within very diverse product categories and customer markets and the strategic prowess and savoir-faire that is intertwined through all her roles.