A board talk with Nathalie Noël, CMO

Ms Noël, as of August 2021, you represent Marketing in the V-ZUG Executive Committee as Chief Marketing Officer. What opportunities do you see for the company? 

The representation of marketing in the Executive Committee guarantees that our actions are taken with the customer needs and expectations in mind. It supports the company in accelerating the digitisation that will enable V-ZUG to offer better experiences to our customers and business partners. At last but not least, it will allow us to maintain a strong brand equity and continue to strengthen the brand both in Switzerland and internationally.

You have a very exciting CV: you grew up in Brazil, studied in Paris and gained valuable work experience in Paris, Cologne and Basel. What made you come to Zug and become part of a traditional Swiss company? 

Although I was happy to discover a new region of Switzerland, my real choice was V-ZUG. I value companies that design and manufacture objects designed to last, with sustainability and longevity in mind. High quality, Swiss made, precision in details, are all attributes that are part of the brand’s DNA for over a century. As to defining V-ZUG as traditional, I would challenge that. So many innovations ahead of their time have been launched by this company, by passionate people always looking into how to bring better products and experiences to their customers. And it is quite international too, I have never had meetings in so many different languages.

What were your first points of contact with V-ZUG and to what extent do you identify yourself with the brand?

When moving to Switzerland, V-ZUG was immediately part of my life. The brand was present all around me: from my own kitchen, to Airbnb flats, to friends’ chalets. I have also realised how much V-ZUG is a beloved brand in Switzerland, with which people associate many happy moments and memories. It is also a trusted brand which people grow old with. The emotional power of the brand, pared with the sustainability and longevity commitment, the close circle of production (Swiss made), and the importance given to employee's well-being make it easy for me to build a strong identification with the brand and the company.

If you had a white canvas: How would you make the brand and the associated marketing activities fit for the future?

Making marketing fit for the future means understanding that customer preferences evolve quickly and guaranteeing that marketing organisations are ready to adapt to these changing needs and behaviours. It is also about making sure we have the technological framework to enable us connect with these customers and engage effectively with them, may that be in physical or digital touchpoints. At last but least, it is about maintaining a strong brand equity, in line with the times and the brand heritage and core values.

What do you expect from the Marketing Department?

A marketing department is a division always looking into what will the future hold and that is able to anticipate today what we need to setup to be ready for the what the future holds. It is a house for storytellers, for creative minds, for data-driven and technology-savvy professionals. It is a home for experimentation, analysis and innovation. It is a competence melting pot, where team members work collaboratively, with the customers’ interests in mind.

How will you drive forward future-oriented digitisation topics in your role?

Digitisation empowers us into bringing more value to our customers, to offer them better experiences, and it allows us to learn, to continuously improve. We will work into designing our long-term holistic digital target picture and making sure we are designing the right user-friendly channels for our customers, building on future-proof technologies and guaranteeing that our brand is properly represented in the online world.

What do you personally stand for as a member of the Executive Board?

Customer-centricity. Omnichannel development. Brand guardian. Regarding customer-centricity, it is about keeping the customer insights at the centre of the conversation. The omnichannel development means that we are designing our brand touchpoints (online and offline) in connection one to another to offer our customers seamless experiences. And at last, but not least, as the brand guardian, I must guarantee the coherent and long-term construction of the brand. 

A guardian of the brand – sounds like a Superhero. Do you think your best friends would describe you also as a Superhero person? Or what words would they use?

For sure, they would evoke my high energy level, my drive for challenge and experimentation, and the positive spirit of always trying to have fun when undertaking anything.

About Nathalie Noël

Nathalie Noël is Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Executive Committee at V-ZUG. She was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil and is of Belgian and French descent. Her international path has led her to Basel, where she was Global Head of Marketing for the design company Vitra, and before that to Cologne where she was Marketing Director for the art publisher TASCHEN. She previously worked in Paris at the L’Oréal Group, holding varied marketing positions in the L’Oréal Luxury Division. The Franco-Brazilian holds a Master's degree in marketing and communication and a Bachelor's degree in political sciences from Sciences Po Paris.