Elite Traveler September-October 2017

INFLUENCE THE BIG INTERVIEW Jean-Christophe Babin on leading a diverse company

Heading up one of the world’s foremost luxury brands is no easy task, especially when that brand’s portfolio spans five different product categories, including hotels. However, Roberta Naas finds that Jean-Christophe Babin, CEOof Bulgari, has risen to the challenge, and is steering the company on a course of incredible growth and creativity.

Four years ago, when CEO Jean- Christophe Babin took the helm of Bulgari , he left behind the familiarity of 12 years spent as head of TAG Heuer to dive headlong into a journey that would encompass ultra-luxury watches, jewelry, fragrances, accessories and even exclusive hotels. Determined and ambitious, Babin began his course as CEO of LVMH-owned Bulgari by immersing himself in its vastly different, yet synergistically similar, worlds. Starting with jewelry, Babin spent months learning and understanding the complexity of the Roman brand’s amazing Italian jewelry roots. He studied its history, values, craftsmanship and clientele to ensure he could propel this key pillar to new heights. “Bulgari was born as a jeweler, so my first attention was to make sure this backbone is strong and fortified, and that it is poised to grow in prestige and admiration,” said Babin during a chat in a lush courtyard in Venice where the brand had just unveiled one of the largest collections of one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces ever. “This backbone impacts all of the other categories, so jewelry was, and still is, a huge priority. My goal is to make Bulgari the quintessence of dreams and desires through each of its different categories. I tell my team all the time, ‘creativity is key’ — there are no limits to what we can imagine next.” In fact, Babin says that when the design team presents himwith an outrageous sketch or concept, he does not think about how or if it can be done. Instead he looks at it from a different perspective: “You must have a wide-open mind to all ideas, because only in that way can you grow,” says Babin, who was exposed to many cultures and forms of art through travel in his early years. He backpacked the world after college before getting his first true job, and

says that experience enlightened him, making himmore receptive. Full of energy and enthusiasm, 58-year-old Babin refers to the haute joaillerie collections that brought us to Venice of as an example of that growth. One facet of the new collection celebrates the 160th birthday of Bulgari founder Sotirio Bulgari, and pays tribute to big, colorful, exquisite stones set in geometric and nature-inspired settings for which the brand is known. The other facet is the Festa collection that pays tribute to the festivals of Venice and Rome, to the princesses who hosted amazing balls and celebrations of harvest, and to moments of joy. “When my design team came to me with the idea of setting a 15-carat D flawless diamond as the center stone of a ring and surrounding it with upside- down diamonds, it was an incredible concept. It is a surprise that you don’t expect, and that is what Bulgari stands for. The same is true of the necklace made of dozens of gemstones cut in the shape of pepperoncini, or the necklace that celebrates balloons,” says Babin. “I encouraged the team to open the box in [terms of] creativity; I set no limits. Jewelry is art and passion, and I wanted them to think from the heart. They did that.” Babin notes that as a result of this search for creativity, the brand actually developed an all-new oval-shaped cabochon cut for gemstones. In addition to propelling the jewelry designs to new heights, Babin has also focused on building an all-new workshop in Valenza, Italy. Opened in January of this year, the expansive workshops are comprised of more than 150,000 sq ft in two spaces — one, an historic landmark building, the other, a glass-enclosed modern and sustainable building. Here, the maison will create all of its jewelry collections (except for the high jewelry