Positive Luxury | Amy Nelson-Bennett

We all strive for the perfect work-life balance; how do you achieve that?

We all have our own definition of W/L balance. I chose to be a CEO knowing that the role is very demanding and that, particularly leading global businesses, I was leaving a 9 – 5.30 life behind. I exercise a lot and have a very healthy diet, keeping myself in top condition for my family & friends and my company, but I also have many interests outside of work – from the mundane to the adventurous - and over time have become more self-disciplined to ensure those don’t suffer. In the periods when I am having to work longer hours, the important thing for me to remember is to be respectful of other people’s definition of work-life balance. The work we do is important, but if I’m e.g. catching up on inbox on the sofa in the evening ,I remind myself that my responses can generally wait until the next day at 9am.

Where do you like to go for some R&R?

I have many passions, from experiencing the world through literature and travel, to a love of food and fragrance. On a day-to-day basis my R&R is an aggressive workout at Barry’s, a pint in my local pub or a quiet hour with a great book. But I always have at least one holiday booked to look forward to. My favourite R&R location is the island of Bequia, in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where I return for a few weeks every year over the Christmas holidays. It’s beautiful, but not at all flashy, and the resilience and positivity of the local Vincentians grounds me every time.

What do you love most about what you do?

Working with people – clients and the team – who have all the passion I’m used to from working in luxury industry, but also the purpose and drive to drive real change and contribute to a positive future.

‍What is one luxury item that you can’t live without?

My John Hardy jewellery.

‍When you joined Positive Luxury in 2021, you brought with you a wealth of experience from brands such as Molton Brown, Clive Christian and HarperCollins. What drove your decision to move from working with brands to a governance programme like Positive Luxury?

It was same, same but different. I loved working in media and then the luxury beauty industry, but both came with so many excessive norms.  Over time I started to question that, I wanted disruption. In Positive Luxury I can help business like those I used to work in challenge those sacred cows, and bring about changes that ultimately – while good for nature and society – will also be good for business. It’s the belief that businesses have to make these changes to survive in the mid-term, and that luxury has a responsibility to lead, that motivates me now.

Driving a sustainable future is something we all strive for in our careers, and it also holds a deep and meaningful connection to us personally. What are your personal drivers?

If you love to travel like I do, then you’ve seen up close inequality and damage to nature that is beyond upsetting. I can contribute to the problems or the solutions. I choose the latter, however small.

Working within the luxury sector, we are aware of past perceptions that luxury and sustainability do not coalesce. Thankfully, that mindset has changed and many businesses in the ultra-luxury sphere have seen strong progress and are now looking to further accelerate the pace of change.

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What are the best ways to stay on top of the latest developments in sustainability?

It can be overwhelming to keep up to date on the latest developments, and that is why we create digestible, action-oriented industry reports as part of our knowledge programme. Connect with your industry peers, they may have unearthed a development which may not have seen and through discussion and collaboration you can navigate any potential implications. Thankfully, I love to read. You have to be curious to keep on top of the pace of change in the world, our industries and sustainability.

As a luxury architectural interior design studio, we have a good understanding of sustainable processes and materials. However, we’re interested to see how technology and even AI can help advance the world of sustainability further. What are your thoughts on this?

The luxury industry values of craftmanship, quality, longevity remain however it is imperative for businesses to evolve and embrace technology for business efficiencies in particular. Businesses who marry traditional luxury values with the mindset of innovation and embrace technology development such as AI will gain a competitive advantage. I don’t fear AI – for a business like ours it has amazing capability to reduce a lot of the important, but repetitive work we do and free us up to spend more time working hand-in-hand with our clients to drive change. We already define ourselves as a technology-powered consultancy, and the ways in which we are now embracing AI in our work only reinforces that.

What developments and technologies do you think will drive the most change in the near future?

We believe demands for transparency will increase as younger luxury consumers progress through their careers and increase in spending power. The reporting requirements driven by legislation are dense and technical, but all the data will be there. For the consumer-facing sectors we support, translating ‘disclosures’ into effective communications to current and prospective consumers and employees will be critical to success. Technology has a big part to play in that.

There is no doubt that the consumers are driving companies to change, have you seen this across all sectors?

Transparency is key for consumers. A luxury consumer doesn’t shop by sector so across the board we are seeing an increase in luxury consumers researching to verify ‘green’ claims and to understand a brand’s values & ethics before purchasing – whether that’s a piece of jewellery, a fine bottle of wine, a sofa or a holiday. But the intention gap between what consumers say and how they then spend remains. For the most part, at an individual level, we see companies facing more direct pressure from their employees than consumers. But that’s a key stakeholder group for all our business, and we hope this will drive more businesses to embrace sustainability as they realise it’s power to recruit, retain and engage talent.

Walpole have recently announced that from their recent member survey; greenhouse gases and carbon footprint, responsible sourcing, innovative material usage, and human rights are the main areas of focus for the luxury brands within their membership. Are you seeing a similar focus across Positive Luxury?

Each sector within luxury has its own priorities and this differs for each business, too. A smart business will understand its material topics and place laser focus on those. The consistent factor we see across the six sectors we support is a growing number of businesses adapting their operating models to be more resilient and responsible, and decarbonisation and sourcing strategies are usually central to this. What we don’t want is for strong governance, the social pillar or environmental topics like water, waste or biodiversity to get lost. That’s why a double materiality assessment is critically important for every business.

We’ve all heard of the terms ‘greenwashing’ and how claims have been exaggerated or dramatised to make consumers think that products and services are cleaner than they are. How can we as consumers ensure we’re not deceived by these claims?  

Be inquisitive and research any brand claims you are unsure. Or simply do not purchase from brands who are not communicating transparently and providing evidence of what they are claiming. Certifications are a good validation tool, but look beyond the icon for the evidence of positive change.  The Connected Butterfly Mark is industry leading tool for transparent sustainability related communications, but it allows a brand to provide evidence to consumers that is easily accessible, clear and verified independently.

It can sometimes be seen that sustainability efforts have been made to stay ‘on trend’, rather than being genuinely impactful. How does Positive Luxury ensure that brands are held accountable for their claims?

We believe luxury should lead and have the highest standards of sustainability. Our comprehensive assessment is built on the foundation of international agreements, global frameworks and standards as well as potential upcoming legislation. When working with our clients we ask for clear documented evidence of the impact relating to the claims made, these are verified by our team of sustainability experts and challenged when appropriate. Furthermore, our framework is updated every two years and brands have to reassessed in the same timescale to ensure continuous transformation.

What can we expect from Positive Luxury in the next five years?

Ongoing evolution to ensure we are always providing the support and the services that the luxury industry needs to survive and thrive in a fast-changing world. The impacts of climate change will increasingly impact businesses, and we need to be there to help every luxury business adapt successfully.

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AMY NELSON-BENNETT

CEO, Positive Luxury

W: positiveluxury.com

IG: @PositiveLuxury

LI: @PositiveLuxury‍

TT: @PositiveLuxury

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