Ramya Narayanan

I attribute my success to consistency. Success is an outcome; consistency is the constant. When we stay committed to a bigger inner goal and keep striving for excellence in what we do, success naturally follows.

For me, that has meant showing up with the same level of intent whether I am planning hyper/supermarket formats at Tesco, shaping luxury brand experiences, or mentoring emerging designers. I stay curious, keep learning from every project, and refine my craft over time, which turns long-term focus into tangible results.

The best career advice I have ever received was from my CEO at Tesco, Sumit Mitra, who told me that it is essential to work with people and companies that align with your values and interests, because that is what creates real growth both for the business and for you as a person. I have carried that with me ever since, paying close attention to who I am becoming, and intentionally surrounding myself with the right knowledge, people and experiences that keep me relevant and inspired in my career.

As I moved into luxury and brand management, this advice became even more important, because working with premium and luxury brands demands a deep, authentic connection to their values and cultural point of view, not just their aesthetics. My mantra is to never get too comfortable; the moment things feel too easy, it is time to explore, stretch and grow again, both creatively and strategically.

I grew up watching resilience in action. My father passed away when I was nine, and my sister was three, and my mother raised us on her own, surrounded by women who were independent, resourceful, grounded, and brave. That has stayed with me and shaped my belief that if you truly set your mind to something, you can achieve it, no matter how big it feels.

Contrary to the popular belief that most workplaces are a male-dominated world, I have had the privilege of working with warm, supportive male and female leaders who created space for me to shine, speak up, and grow. To young women entering this industry, I would say: do not let constant comparison or other people’s expectations define you. This is not a race to fit into one mould; it is a journey to create your own mark in your own way. Protect your voice, back your ideas with hard work and curiosity, and remember that you are allowed to design a career that looks and feels like you. Build yourself as the brand!!

The biggest challenge and opportunity in my field is the same thing: the fact that space is no longer just physical.

In commercial space design and luxury brand management, brands are moving from creating beautiful stores to building holistic ecosystems where every touchpoint, from flagships and pop-ups to ecommerce, social, and service, feels like one coherent lived experience. Many brands are still stuck in old retail models, measuring square footage instead of emotional resonance and lifetime value.

On top of this, AI is rapidly transforming how we work, automating tasks and raising fears about jobs being replaced. I see that as a signal to evolve. Learning to use generative AI and digital twins to simulate journeys, prototype atmospheres, and test scenarios opens up entirely new angles in spatial experience design, much like it is doing in many other fields.

This is the age of experience, and we are quickly moving into the age of transformation, where the real competitive edge will come from environments that are sensory, inclusive, culturally aware and deeply human, powered by intelligent tools rather than threatened by them.

The values that matter most to me are integrity, curiosity and showing up. Integrity, for me, is doing what feels right even when no one is watching and staying honest about what a space, a team or a strategy can really do, instead of over‑promising. In the context of luxury, that also means respecting the brand’s DNA and the customer’s intelligence, not using “luxury” as an excuse for noise or excess.

I am a curious bird, always asking questions, because there is always something new to learn that can shift your perspective or open an unexpected door in your career. I love observing how people move through spaces, what makes them pause, what makes them feel seen, and turning those insights into more thoughtful experiences. Curiosity keeps me a student, even when I am leading a project or mentoring someone else.

I also deeply believe in the value of simply showing up, especially when it gets hard. Some of my most meaningful growth has come from the days where I wanted to retreat but chose to stay in the room, ask the difficult question or try one more iteration. As a leader, I want the people around me to feel that I am present, dependable and human, and that we are building brands and spaces that are not only beautiful and profitable, but also honest, intentional and kind.