Voices from the top: Sophie Doireau, CEO, Middle East, India and Africa, Cartier

For many, 2021 represented a year of hope and it also shed new light on the importance of resilience – for countries, businesses and individuals. This proved especially true in the UAE, which continued to manage the unprecedented set of circumstances with exceptional measures, ensuring a safe reopening of the country and the economy, with health and safety remaining the utmost priority.

The same applies to the luxury industry, which adapted to the new normal and showcased its ability to navigate the uncertainty. For Cartier in the region, this was a very anticipated year not least as we were looking forward to the inauguration of the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Born out of a unique collaboration between Cartier and Expo 2020 three years ago, the Women’s Pavilion highlights the voices and actions of inspirational women from around the world who have contributed to women’s empowerment and gender equality. Seeing the tremendous interest in this unique project speaks to the importance and relevance of the cause. The inauguration in October allowed us to share an important message – when women thrive, humanity thrives – and was a true moment of pride for the maison and for me personally.

The Women’s Pavilion will continue to host daily engaging talks and visitors until the end of Expo in March 2022.

In 2021, we also unveiled our renovated flagship boutique in Dubai Mall and relaunched the Pasha watch in a night that lit up the sky of Riyadh. The momentum never stops and looking ahead to 2022, much more is on the horizon. We will continue to build on the longstanding relationship between Cartier and the Middle East. And we are also in the process of expanding our presence in markets where we see great growth potential, such as India and Turkey, with many exciting initiatives to come in 2022 and beyond.

On a personal level, this has been a significant year for me as I was appointed the chief executive officer for Cartier’s Middle East, India and Africa region. I am very fortunate to have been supported over the past 12 years of my career at Cartier, which is an organisation that places great emphasis on developing and rewarding talent.

The maison truly embodies its commitment to women and walks the talk of gender equality; today at Cartier, more than 50 per cent of managers globally are women, and our UAE operation was recently certified as having achieved fully equal pay for equal work across male and female employees.

I have also been extremely lucky to meet very inspiring women along the way as I believe it is crucial to be surrounded by a community of supportive, ambitious and forward-looking leaders.

And so, to all the aspiring young women out there, I would say dare to think big and outside the box, make sure you have a seat at the table and use it to voice your big ideas that can change the world.