Michaela Merk is an award-winning speaker, coach, and expert in relational intelligence, dedicated to elevating teams in customer experience and leadership excellence. With over 20 years of experience in the premium and luxury goods industry, she has trained and inspired audiences in over 30 countries. She has been featured in TEDx Talks, Forbes, and the Financial Times. Michaela has spoken to leading international corporations such as L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hermès, Tiffany & Co, Chanel, and Cartier.
She serves as a leadership expert and trainer for the esteemed French Management Association (APM – Association Progrès du Management), a global network of 6,500 managing directors. Originally from Germany, Michaela has lived in Paris for over 25 years and has held senior positions with leading international companies, including Marketing Director at L’Oréal, Retail Director at Marionnaud, and General Manager at Estée Lauder Companies.
Her primary research topic is relational intelligence, an essential talent for strengthening relationships within companies, especially during times of transformation. Michaela has published numerous articles and several books, including her bestseller Luxury Sales Force Management: Strategies for Winning Over Your Brand Ambassadors (Palgrave MacMillan). Her latest project is the filmed podcast Luxury Leadership Talks, where she debates innovation, sustainability, and success with CEOs in the luxury industry.
Michaela’s conferences are renowned for being dynamic, interactive, and motivating. They are always tailored to the needs and challenges of the company and its audience. Fluent in English, French, and German, she delivers conferences and workshops worldwide. She has hosted TEDx Talks and, in 2020, received the Certified Speaking Professional designation, the highest international distinction for public speaking awarded by the National Speakers Association in the USA, making her the only woman in France to have achieved it.
Michaela is deeply involved in academia, holding a PhD in marketing from Sorbonne and HEC. She is currently a Professor of Marketing and Director of the MSc Sustainable Luxury Management at Audencia Business School, as well as teaching at Sciences Po Paris.
Michaela Merk is an award-winning speaker, coach, and expert in relational intelligence, dedicated to elevating teams in customer experience and leadership excellence. With over 20 years of experience in the premium and luxury goods industry, she has trained and inspired audiences in over 30 countries. She has been featured in TEDx Talks, Forbes, and the Financial Times. Michaela has spoken to leading international corporations such as L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hermès, Tiffany & Co, Chanel, and Cartier.
She serves as a leadership expert and trainer for the esteemed French Management Association (APM – Association Progrès du Management), a global network of 6,500 managing directors. Originally from Germany, Michaela has lived in Paris for over 25 years and has held senior positions with leading international companies, including Marketing Director at L’Oréal, Retail Director at Marionnaud, and General Manager at Estée Lauder Companies.
Her primary research topic is relational intelligence, an essential talent for strengthening relationships within companies, especially during times of transformation. Michaela has published numerous articles and several books, including her bestseller Luxury Sales Force Management: Strategies for Winning Over Your Brand Ambassadors (Palgrave MacMillan). Her latest project is the filmed podcast Luxury Leadership Talks, where she debates innovation, sustainability, and success with CEOs in the luxury industry.
Michaela’s conferences are renowned for being dynamic, interactive, and motivating. They are always tailored to the needs and challenges of the company and its audience. Fluent in English, French, and German, she delivers conferences and workshops worldwide. She has hosted TEDx Talks and, in 2020, received the Certified Speaking Professional designation, the highest international distinction for public speaking awarded by the National Speakers Association in the USA, making her the only woman in France to have achieved it.
Michaela is deeply involved in academia, holding a PhD in marketing from Sorbonne and HEC. She is currently a Professor of Marketing and Director of the MSc Sustainable Luxury Management at Audencia Business School, as well as teaching at Sciences Po Paris.
