MAUREEN CHIQUET

From the time I was 16, I wanted to live in Paris. When I graduated college and didn't have a job, I went to take the LSAT because I didn't know what else to do. I walked out in the middle of the test and eventually found an internship in Paris at L'Oreal.

The risk of any great luxury brand that has its history in the past is that it can get dusty.

I've been inspired by Coco Chanel. She broke all the rules of her time when she was designing. She pretty much revolutionized the way that women dressed at the time, and in doing that, she modernized the way they looked because they could move more freely in their clothes.

I just dreamed about living in Paris and being French. I always loved the visual arts, film and theatre, and I hoped to be involved in creating beautiful products and images.

Often, the pressure of the business and fear of having an open position encourages us to hire people who are either not right for the job or not ready to take on the responsibility.

Men display less self-doubt and lead with what seems always like a sense of force and direction. We are not as familiar with women leaders, and so we question their skills. As women, we always need to work harder to prove our competence.

When I first started out in my career, I'd been a lit major in college so I didn't have a lot of choices. The traditional options were management consultant or investment banking, and I hadn't even taken an economics class so those were pretty much out. I didn't want to go into academia. For me, research and instinct were my unique tools that seemed to work best on a marketing and merchandizing path. It's kind of right-brain and left-brain.

There is no solution or perfect model you can follow. The best thing I can say is you've got to get close to what you really value. When you strip away your role as a parent, as a mother, and as an executive, what really makes your heart sing? How can you make your mark?

I'm like a sponge: I like to listen.

A lot of companies talk about letting creative lead, but Chanel actually does let it lead.

Often, the pressure of the business and fear of having an open position encourages us to hire people who are either not right for the job or not ready to take on the responsibility.

I just dreamed about living in Paris and being French. I always loved the visual arts, film and theatre, and I hoped to be involved in creating beautiful products and images.

From the time I was 16, I wanted to live in Paris. When I graduated college and didn't have a job, I went to take the LSAT because I didn't know what else to do. I walked out in the middle of the test and eventually found an internship in Paris at L'Oreal.

I'm like a sponge: I like to listen.

A lot of companies talk about letting creative lead, but Chanel actually does let it lead.

The risk of any great luxury brand that has its history in the past is that it can get dusty.

Men display less self-doubt and lead with what seems always like a sense of force and direction. We are not as familiar with women leaders, and so we question their skills. As women, we always need to work harder to prove our competence.

I've been inspired by Coco Chanel. She broke all the rules of her time when she was designing. She pretty much revolutionized the way that women dressed at the time, and in doing that, she modernized the way they looked because they could move more freely in their clothes.

When I first started out in my career, I'd been a lit major in college so I didn't have a lot of choices. The traditional options were management consultant or investment banking, and I hadn't even taken an economics class so those were pretty much out. I didn't want to go into academia. For me, research and instinct were my unique tools that seemed to work best on a marketing and merchandizing path. It's kind of right-brain and left-brain.

These qualities - things like deep listening, collaboration, flexibility, tapping into our emotions - seem to me to be the kinds of qualities that are intrinsic to women. I think that's the thing I'm most excited about: continuing to promote women in the workplace.

I think being able to sit in the shoes of a woman and being able to manage products that are mostly sold to women, alongside a lot of female employees, is really helpful because you hold that empathy to the situation. You can understand where the customer is coming from.

There is no solution or perfect model you can follow. The best thing I can say is you've got to get close to what you really value. When you strip away your role as a parent, as a mother, and as an executive, what really makes your heart sing? How can you make your mark?

It's important to look for mentors all around you.