Maranda Barnes is the chief commercial officer of V3 Gourmet and co-founder of TWG Tea.
Born in the US, educated in France and based in Singapore, she co-founded the luxury brand TWG Tea in 2007 and was part of the founding team that revived the legendary 110-year-old Bacha Coffee brand from Marrakech in 2019.
With over 20 years of experience in the luxury lifestyle industry, Barnes is widely regarded as a game-changer and thought leader in the space who has authored multiple books on coffee and tea.
As the figure who leads the commercial expansion, communications and marketing for global luxury gourmet lifestyle group V3 Gourmet, Barnes established the style guides and tones of voice for TWG Tea and Bacha Coffee.
We recently caught up with her to get her thoughts on her career so far and what she thinks about leadership skills that are important in this day and age.
Inside Retail: Tell me about your career journey.
Maranda Barnes: I believe that my career actually began long before I started my first job. I was very fortunate to be born into a family obsessed by culture – my dad was an ad agency creative director and luxury watch designer, just to give you context!
I started playing classical violin at the age of 3 and I became a concert violinist very early in life. But after moving to Europe as a teenager to complete my studies, I very quickly realized that life had something else in store for me.
I decided to study Comparative Literature in Paris with the intention of becoming a journalist. On the side, I did translation for a very specialized market research company which worked with luxury brand perfumers and in so doing, fell in love with the world of fragrances.
I later joined the top producer of luxury fragrances in the world, and deepened my connection with the luxury industry and the unique pursuit of excellence which sets these brands apart.
When I look back at my experience today, the leitmotif of my young career was an attention to detail, to storytelling and to beauty – whether through the interpretation of a Mozart concerto, or the storytelling around a transformative fragrance.
Similarly, with all of the brands that I work with under our V3 Gourmet umbrella today, I work to create a universe for customers to engage in a similar manner, this time by engaging all of the senses, including most importantly your taste buds.
In particular with Bacha Coffee, I find synergy with my passion for literature, coffee appreciation and culture; and in this melting pot where art meets business, I champion efforts to elevate coffee beyond being a commodity, to further coffee appreciation to a status that reflects the outstanding craftsmanship of the coffee farmers and producers around the world.
It continues to be a rewarding journey to see this vision come to life and witness the success of our brands through the eyes of our customers.
IR: How did you get into the industry, what are some of the different roles you’ve held along the way?
MB: My journey into the industry began after getting married in Paris. Shortly thereafter, an opportunity arose to start a new label in Singapore, and becoming parents around that time further fueled our desire to create something remarkable together.
With our combined passion and experiences in branding, product development, marketing, communications, and knowledge of luxury retail, we felt it was an opportune time to embark on our own entrepreneurial journey.
In 2008, we co-founded TWG Tea (known as Tea WG in Hong Kong), a luxury tea label, marking the beginning of an incredible adventure in the industry.
Since then, I have taken on the role of chief commercial office at V3 Gourmet, where I continue to grow TWG Tea and participate in reviving the beautiful Moroccan brand Bacha Coffee, witnessing the reopening of the original location and building the brand globally.
These diverse positions have allowed me to contribute to the industry, expand my horizons and create exceptional gourmet experiences.
IR: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your career and how have you dealt with them?
MB: I think that Covid-19 was a time where everybody’s mettle was tested, but the most beautiful rainbows only come after the heaviest downpour.
When the world went into lock down, our immediate priority was to ensure the well being and job security of our teams around the world. As business owners, we took the opportunity to ask ourselves: How can we turn this situation into a positive for the company and the business?
Rather than consolidating, we took the opportunity to embark on our aggressive expansion during the Covid-19 lock down. We were one of the only brands to be investing in and securing locations during the most difficult months of the crisis.
We renovated so many locations which we then just locked up during that period until the world slowly opened. But by then, we had strengthened our back end and prepared ourselves so that when customers started to go out again, Bacha Coffee was ready to take on the world!
IR: What are some of your career highlights so far ?
MB: I am very proud to have built up and grown two thriving and rapidly expanding global, luxury brands: TWG Tea Company and Bacha Coffee. I oversee online strategies, marketing, communications, social media and brand visibility, and have seen our brand recognition and brand loyalty grow exponentially in a very short time.
These efforts have definitely contributed to maintaining brand desirability in the market. Developing our e-commerce platforms has also been an extraordinary experience, and in addition to that, I have co-authored three books exploring the rich history and cultural significance of tea and coffee.
My goal is to share the captivating narratives and exceptional journeys offered by the finest teas and coffees worldwide.
IR: What do you love about your job?
MB: I have always believed that my role in our group carried the unique obligation but also the immense honor of identifying and transforming situations into opportunities for growth and supplying the inspiration to our teams to build sales and communication channels where there were none before.
I value the opportunity to bring creativity, innovation and courage to my teams to forge new paths, think critically and take ownership of their work, pushing the limits to produce work that is best in class.
Building a brand into a global icon means identifying and heavily investing in developing the individual strengths of our employees, and that in turn furthers our businesses. We hire really amazing, talented people from all over the world, with passion and drive, and nurture them to be more than what they thought they could.
While that goes beyond what a CCO is expected to do, I believe that it is the core essence of being a leader, and when the right tone is set from the top, the result are brands that deliver exceptional experiences, products, and service – all essential touch points in making a business successful.
As we run a retail business, we always need to be alert and innovative. That means introducing new teas and coffees, launching new products, coming up with whimsical names, and celebrating different seasons. This constant need for innovation has driven us to develop a platform that supports creativity and growth right from the very beginning.
IR: What advice would you give someone who wants to get into your line of work ?
MB: When providing guidance to individuals aspiring to enter my field, I stress the significance of approaching work with a profound sense of passion. It is essential that this fervor is in perfect alignment with the requirements of the job, the dynamics of the industry, or the sophistication of luxury experiences.
Demonstrating a sincere interest in aspects directly pertinent to the company or the role at hand is a critical foundation.
I also encourage a strong focus on growth and continuous learning. Constantly seeking to improve and develop personally and professionally is vital for success in this line of work.
IR: What are some of the key leadership lessons you’ve picked up over the course of your career ?
MB: Have and communicate a clear vision and objective, be organized, create enough structure so each team can act independently, but facilitate enough communication channels to ensure that no team is working alone in a bubble.
Creativity is paramount to our success, however, I have realized that even creatives need to know the boundaries before they can be truly effective. My job is to provide those parameters and the seeds of an idea, and then to step away and foster the team’s discussion and idea implementation.
I am also a stickler for on boarding my teams in a deep and meaningful manner, sharing my passion with them at every opportunity, and then listening to them in a meaningful way – these are the ways that I have found I can best prepare each of our brands for future growth and innovation.
IR: What advice would you give to someone who wants to move up the corporate ladder ?
MB: We are quite stringent in our hiring process and invest a lot in our on boarding process, so it is likely that many of our employees are already remarkable in their respective fields and have something vital to contribute to the brand.
As we are expanding so fast, we actually foster employees who show interest in moving up the corporate ladder, and have so many opportunities within the brand across the world to build up their professional capabilities. What we are looking for is initiative, passion, professionalism, and dedication to grow their career with us.
IR: Do you have any business heroes ?
MB: Apart from my own partner, Taha Bouqdib, who himself is an exceptional businessman, I have always admired Steve Jobs for transforming technology into an object of desire. His management style and focus on creative innovation is unparalleled.
IR: What does a typical day look like for you ?
MB: I love the quiet of the morning hours, and usually wake up at 6:30am to catch up on any news, emails and WhatsApps from teams overseas, and then go to the gym or for a jog before sitting down with a cup of Bacha Coffee to plan the day and prepare the materials required for any key meetings slated.
I step into the office at 9am and rarely leave before 7 or 8pm… When I get home, it’s family time with our son and dog, as well as time to catch up with teams in Europe and the US. Time permitting, we’ll watch a movie or documentary.
Then I try to squeeze in a few minutes to read whatever book I have on my night table before heading to bed around 11:30 pm. But I am always just a text away and my team knows they can catch me if anything requires my immediate attention.
IR: What’s your approach to work-life balance ?
MB: Essential, and I try my best to ensure that my team gets their well-deserved breaks as well. We give it our all during the day and we respect each other’s personal time needed to recharge and unwind (with a cup of Bacha Coffee, no less!).
Granted, there are peak moments where we roll up our sleeves and go above and beyond, but I truly appreciate my team’s commitment and encourage them to take the necessary time off to live their life outside of their workplace.
IR: Do you have any hobbies that help you switch off and stay balanced ?
MB: I love to take long walks and hikes on the weekends and when I have time during the week. The act of walking just allows me to work through any decisions I need to make as well as find solutions to pressing issues. I usually come back refreshed and with a new perspective!
The post How this exec built her career around beauty and storytelling appeared first on Inside Retail US.