Chief Executive Officer - Independent Luxury Fragrance House

Role: Chief Executive Officer – Independent Luxury Fragrance House
Reports To: Founder / Chairperson and Advisory Board
Direct Reports: Head of Ecommerce and Corporate Sales, Head of Marketing and Supply Chain (currently combined), Regional Sales Managers (2), Shared functions (Finance, HR, Legal, Audit etc.)
Location: Dubai, with regular travel to key markets and production partners
Compensation: Competitive base salary plus incentive package, aligned with the growth stage of a start-up luxury fragrance house

Role Purpose
The CEO will take full commercial and operational leadership, turning client’s creative vision into sustainable and focused growth. The role requires balancing brand stewardship with strategic expansion across retail, direct-to-consumer, and international channels, while protecting the brand’s heritage and exclusivity. The CEO will build strong operational and financial foundations, transform early momentum into a repeatable growth model, and serve as the face of the brand with partners, press, and the luxury industry.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Vision:
Shape and agree on a 3-year commercial strategy with the Founder and Advisory Board; deliver annual business plans that balance long-term brand building with near-term revenue discipline; identify and prioritize opportunities across categories, channels, and geographies.

Brand and Creative Stewardship:
Work closely with the Founder and perfumery collaborators to define creative direction; ensure commercial decisions reinforce brand heritage; oversee new collections, limited editions, and brand extensions. Work closely with Head of Marketing to ensure brand quality and values are consistently articulated across all marketing and social media channels.

Commercial and Revenue Growth:
Lead a multi-channel go-to-market strategy; design pricing and channel architecture aligned with luxury positioning; deliver revenue, margin, and customer acquisition goals. Build on current momentum within hotel and airline sectors.

Operations, Supply Chain and Finance:
Build robust sourcing, production, and quality-control processes; ensure financial planning and cash management discipline; manage inventory, demand planning, and working capital.

Team and Organization:
Recruit, develop and lead a high-caliber team; foster a collaborative, excellence-driven culture aligned with brand values.

Stakeholder Relations:
Act as the primary interface with the Founder, Advisory Board, external partners, and media; Represent brand at master class events, press events, industry forums, and strategic partnerships.

Candidate Profile
• 15+ years in luxury, beauty and fragrance, with progressive leadership responsibility
• Strategic understanding of luxury beauty and fragrance trends
• Direct experience at scaling the international expansion of an international brand
• Direct experience in identifying and developing adjacent brand extensions that fit with brand strategy;
• Prior P&L ownership in entrepreneurial or founder-led settings essential
Skills and Capabilities:
• Strong commercial acumen in pricing and channel strategy
• Fluency in luxury brand codes and multi market registration requirements
• Ability to ensure operational rigor
• Ability to attract and develop talent
• Financial literacy essential
• Ability to demonstrate stakeholder credibility

Personal Attributes:
• Entrepreneurial and hands-on
• Discerning aesthetic sensibility
• Resilient and resourceful in ambiguity
• High discretion and judgement
• Collaborative with creative leadership yet confident in guiding commercial decisions