Greater Barcelona Metropolitan Area
A half Spanish, half New Zealander executive and entrepreneur with more than 20 years’ experience in overseas business management and entrepreneurship. Over the past two decades, I have lived, worked, and built projects from the ground up across 13 different countries, thriving in highly cross-cultural environments. I am the Founder of Black Book The Label, a women’s resort wear brand rooted in thoughtful design, craftsmanship, and timeless femininity. Through the brand, I channel my global perspective, entrepreneurial mindset, and passion for creating meaningful, wearable pieces that tell a story. My journey has taught me that beyond hard skills, empathy is a powerful way to connect with people and that common sense, a positive approach, and a go-getter mindset are among the most valuable tools for achieving sustainable success.
Black Book the Label is the essence of sophisticated summer dressing. Made to be worn from coffee dates to cocktail hour and everything in between, our pieces will take you there feeling both confident and comfortable, empowered and with an air of undeniable magnetism. Every piece of clothing in our collection is designed in Sitges, Barcelona, and handmade in Bali, Indonesia. Our signature fabrics are all sustainably made from 100% natural materials including silk, cotton and viscose. Each lovingly handmade in small family-owned workshops, our aim is to rewrite the narrative of the fashion industry, to create both unique and timeless pieces that don’t cost the earth nor the communities who make them. Black Book the Label pieces are works of love, with a story of wanderlust to tell.
As CEO & Co-Founder, I oversee the entire operations of Black Book Fashion, a curated fashion platform to the best independent designers in shopping destinations around the world. ‘Your secret collection of fashion boutiques’, we bring the best designers from the world’s favourite destinations to our freedom loving, independent and fashion forward customers.
As Asia’s Managing Director for Oxford Business Group, a leading consultancy and research firm, I was a member of the management board and responsible for the company’s expansion in Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and Mongolia. I spent 10 years based in Asia. Expanding to new markets: Responsible for the entire opening of six offices in Asia, I identified, negotiated and fostered strategic partnerships with top local ministries and investment boards, hired local staff and managed international staff in market, created, lead and developed expansion strategy and created unique in-market approach. Business Development: I was responsible for developing and establishing the company's brand in market and did that through creating strategic partnerships with media, associations, chambers and other like minded organisations. I lead our sales strategy, adapting our methodology to an entirely different business climate and was responsible for identifying potential clients and commercial partners and ensuring my teams achieved their overall sales targets. Operations and production: I oversaw the production of each research study, lasting anywhere from 6 months to one year, conducted meetings with top level CEOs and politicians, coordinated and ensured the logistics of the product delivery in market, working with local customs. Conference organisation and production: I planned, coordinated and executed large and small scale, VIP launch conferences in country to announce the release of the company's annual economic reviews. I secured VIP level speakers from Heads of State, to Ministers and leading CEOs from multinational companies, ensured top level attendance, coordinate media attendance and press pick-up, and oversaw the event at large.
- Responsible for sales and editorial in ten markets: Thailand, Malaysia (Peninsula Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah), Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, The Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Papua New Guinea. - Traveled approximately twice a month to the markets - Oversaw more than 50 employees - Increased sales in double digits despite global economic crisis - Directly responsible for over eight million GBP of revenue - Briefly oversaw markets in Africa (four months)
- Oversaw a team of 3-5 people to conduct and complete the research of our annual economic investment guides in the Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Kuwait, Bahamas, Bulgaria and Saudi Arabia. - Conducted in person sales with c-level executives - Responsible for all day to day operations in country - Managed project budget - Increased sales 220% in Malaysia and was always in the top 3 best perfoming sales person in the company - Organised a Launch Conference in Indonesia and Malaysia with 500 VIP attendees and media and secured the President of Indonesia and Prime Minister of Malaysia as keynote speakers - Won 'Best Sales Person of the Year' award for top results as Country Director in 2008
- Conducted in person sales with c-level executives - Responsible for all day to day operations in country - Liaise with communications departments for the creation of artwork material - Conducted in market research and worked together with the editorial department on content