INTRODUCTION: The Moodie Davitt Report brings you the latest instalment in our popular new series Ten Easy Pieces*, in which we get up close and personal with personalities in travel retail via just ten easy and informal questions.
In this edition we meet Genie-S Vice President Ralph Bou Nader who joined the company in 2015 after stints at VF Corporation, La Prairie and L’Oréal.
1. Tell us about Ralph Bou Nader. Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, then moved to Paris when I was 18 before travelling to several different countries. I have an older brother and younger sister and at the time we were growing up, life was not nice in Lebanon because of the political situation that started in 1974 and never really ended. For me, Lebanon is one of the most beautiful countries on earth, I say that not just because I am Lebanese but because we have mountains and sea in a small area.
2. You’re somewhat of a travel retail veteran. How, why, when and where did you enter the channel?
My travel retail career began when I was 23-years-old at L’Oréal’s luxury division.
I was working in Sephora on the Champs-Élysées when someone from L’Oréal approached me and asked if I was interested in joining. I agreed to do the meeting and that was how everything started for me, in May 2002.
At the beginning it was a learning process and about discovering a world that I had no idea existed. Step by step I learned from the best and even today I still believe that we have so many things to do and change in this channel. We still have a long way to go, we need to move and not fear change.
3. How has the business changed down the years?
When I started in travel retail 14 years ago, everything was about testing new ideas and making the consumer a priority. Nowadays, when we look at travel retail we can see that not a lot of brands or operators are taking risks anymore.
I think that stores in the channel now look like a department store, things are duplicated and copied and pasted everywhere. No one is to blame but I think we [retailers, operators and brands] should do a 360° on ourselves and try to improve the consumer experience. It is a challenge that I think of everyday and I try to push my team to always go outside of their comfort zone.
4. Tell us about your early career.
I have always tried to choose a new position not by the title but by the challenge behind it, my career has never been a linear one. I have worked in big corporations to understand the processes they have and why they are strong, from L’Oréal, Diesel, La Prairie to VF Corporation – all of those groups have taught me a lot and made me who I am today.
5. You’ve worked in the beauty and fashion industries. How do the two compare?
Beauty and fashion have one common goal: consumer satisfaction. A big difference is seasonality; in fashion it is always about bringing the right product with the correct material for the season. In travel retail, beauty is visible everywhere and the process is well-established from both the operator and brand side. Fashion, on the other hand, I would tend to say is still under construction. So far only the boutiques and standalone stores can live in this environment. Operators should work on a concept that will allow smaller brands to be present and displayed alongside other brands – this will bring newness.
6. Let’s look at your time at Genie-S International. What has been your highlight so far?
We have done so many things with Travalo and Perfume Pod in the last two years and we are more and more visible. My team is doing an amazing job to make our technology and Genie-S to be the best and most trustworthy. I will not talk about my highlight, but will say team work is the most important part of anything we have and will achieve in the future.
7. What has been the biggest achievement in your career?
My biggest achievement is to see that all the people that have worked with me, and for me, are happy and have no regrets. I am happy that I pushed them to be where they are today. As soon as I passed the stage of being a sales person and became a manager, I found an energy in pushing people out of their comfort zone so they could achieve what they wished for. This is how I enjoy making my team of the moment grow.
8. You are fluent in three languages (English, Arabic and French). Where do you consider home and where would you choose to retire?
This is a difficult question, especially knowing what we are facing in this world today. My home is Earth and I don’t know the name of the city where I will retire but I am sure about one thing: I will have the sun and the sea with me.
9. Who has inspired you most in life?
What has inspired me would be the question that I would answer. Fear has inspired me; I always did things to overcome fear and I will continue to do so. One thing that I always repeat to myself when I have some doubts or I need to make a decision is: You owe it to yourself.
10. Finally, what’s your main passion/interest outside of work?
Sport is and always will be the best thing in my life. In sport, you do not have politics. My speciality is boxing and you have to face whatever it is that you need to face, you can’t hide or run away. I started boxing because I always thought that nothing was more powerful than a fighter in the ring facing his opponent. I was eight-years-old when I put my first gloves on and did full training. Until now, I have no regrets and still enjoy it as much as I did that first day.
I also have one person that I love above everything – my daughter.
*PREVIOUSLY FEATURED IN TEN EASY PIECES
Meet Daniel Wellington Founder Filip Tysander
Meet Tumi’s Fernando Ciccarelli
