Michaela Merk, Ph.D

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Michaela Merk is the founder and CEO of Merk-Vision & Partners, strategic consulting and training agency for the luxury, cosmetics and fashion industry with particular focus on brand and retail management (online and offline). She held top management functions in the cosmetics and luxury industry and acquired expertise in these fields for over 15 years.

In parallel to her professional career she accomplished a Ph.D in Marketing at the Doctoral School of Paris (Sorbonne, HEC, Ensam). Her topic: "Strengthening Sales force - Brand Relationships: A new management strategy for retailers?"

Based on her expertise in Marketing, Branding, online and offline Retailing for Luxury and Premium brands, Michaela Merk holds marketing seminars in English, French and German destined to professionals in this field. She counts among the top 100 trainers of Speakers Excellence, the biggest speaker and trainer agency in Europe.

Besides, she teaches in top-level international business schools, among others in Paris at ESSEC, Paris Dauphine, IFM (Institut Francais de Mode), Sorbonne, in China (Beida- Beijing and Fudan and China Eastern Shanghai), Munich (Munich Business School (Germany) and Monaco (International University of Monaco).

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Prior to the creation of Merk-Vision, she was General Manager for the professional makeup brand Bobbi Brown (Estée Lauder Companies) in Germany. In this role she assumed the responsibility over sales, marketing, communications and training and expanded the brand’s distribution network all over Germany.

From 2005 to 2008 Michaela Merk acquired her retail expertise as Category Director at Marionnaud (AS Watson), introducing new exclusive and national brands into Marionnaud’s brand portfolio. She also developed the perfumery chain’s first own label brand (Bio par Marionnaud), a selective organic skincare line. In this role she also contributed to the development of the new store concept introduced in France in 2007.

From 1999 to 2005, she worked for L’Oréal in the luxury products division in various marketing positions: from Product Manager in France and Travel Retail Europe to International Trade Marketing Manager.

Besides her consulting and teaching activities, Michaela Merk is a passionate photographer and traveler. Expeditions to untouched natures and tribes allowed her to document on countries and societies from all over the globe.