Marine Roland

I'm originally from France, born and raised in Paris, and my background is in marketing and brand marketing, always in the luxury sales field. I studied graphic design and creative work, which led me to strategy and marketing strategy. Very early in my career, I went from creative director to marketing director. After finishing my studies in my early 20s, I traveled extensively as a globe trotter. I learned English in Australia, then moved to New Zealand for a year where I started building my career, working as a creative and marketing professional for high-end restaurants and architects. I then returned to France for 4 years, working in luxury real estate where I was in charge of some of the most luxurious and unique assets in France, mostly in Paris. I did all the marketing for the company, both corporate and sales, promoting all our assets, coordinating luxury events with AD and architect magazines, and doing different collaborations. In late 2016, I moved to Los Angeles. I met the Ex Nihilo founders through my luxury background and discovered the brand when I was in Paris. My willingness for adventure, my experience in marketing and luxury fields, and the fact that I have both marketing strategy and sales expertise made me a great candidate to represent the brand in the U.S. I started 9 years ago as a regional manager when they only had 5 points of sale with Bergdorf Goodman and were exclusive to Saks Fifth Avenue with only 5 stores. I was based in Los Angeles but traveled extensively to Texas, Miami, and New York. In 2020, I became General Manager because I was so involved in the brand's culture and expansion on a larger scale, not just in sales but in how we market the brand. This is when I started heavily expanding the brand in the U.S., signing Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Holt Renfrew in Canada. I also manage Canada and Mexico and opened Mexico. I developed different fields because our customers come from different segments - fragrance lovers who go to high-end perfumeries, lifestyle people who go to concept stores, and the majority who go to department stores. We developed e-commerce, and I opened the first boutique in Los Angeles in a very niche, avant-garde shopping area. 2020 was actually the best time for me because I could redefine everything, rearrange the distribution, build up my team, and start from scratch with my strategic vision for the brand.