Heads Up with Marc Jacheet, CEO, De Beers Brands at De Beers Group

Heads Up with Marc Jacheet, CEO, De Beers Brands at De Beers Group

Marc has a wealth of luxury goods, luxury jewellery, marketing and digital experience gained over a 25 year international career – most recently as President of Tiffany & Co. Europe, Middle East and Africa, and prior to that as President of Tiffany’s Asia Pacific region. Marc has also held a number of global marketing roles with LVMH, Danone and Unilever in Europe and the US.

Marc holds a Masters Degree in Marketing & Communication from ESCP Business School, Paris and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Universite Paris.

What does good leadership mean to you?

Among the various books I have read on leadership, I particularly like “Why should anyone be led by you” by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones. The authors give great vision of leadership: “Leadership is about exciting people to a higher level of performance, by being oneself —more—with skill.”
Leadership is not to serve one’s own interests but to serve those of others (employees, clients and shareholders). Showing you care about individuals and teams is key.

How did you get to where you are today? Did you take a strategic, planned approach to your career or has it been more opportunistic?

A bit of luck (especially for international assignment opportunities), a few key guiding principles (including ethics, teamwork and concrete action) and a lot of hard work over time.

Is there anything you wish you’d known when you started your career? And anything you would tell yourself at an earlier stage in your career?

Give yourself the right to make mistakes. You never lose, you either win or learn

What type of people do you like to work with and what makes them good leaders?

The key word for me is diversity. Diversity in socio-cultural origin, ways of thinking, international experience and personalities.

What fascinates you about your job?

Waking up every morning and working within an industry whose purpose is to help people say “I love you” to each other.

As a leader what skills do you continuously work on to keep you at the top of your game?

Never stop learning. And in a world that is globalizing at an astonishing speed, stay curious and open to all innovations.

What is the best way to switch off in your free time?

Focus on the moment, be in contact with nature and keep your loved ones as your first priority.