Margareth Henriquez, President & CEO, Krug Champagne
Photo Credit: © A. de Villenfagne
What did you study at Harvard?
I did the Advanced Program and the International Senior Management Program at HBS in the year 1995, after 17 years of working.
Were you involved with any food or wine activities while a student?
Not at all. I used to enjoy good wines with friends, by then I had already worked as President of Seagram’s in Venezuela and had a very close interest in wines and spirits. But being at Harvard I was most concentrated in networking, studying and sports.
Do you think that Harvard has prepared you for a career in food and wine or hospitality in general? If so, how?
Of course, yes, my time in Harvard gave me a clear sense of the need to work out of Venezuela to be international. I was already close to Wines & Spirits but being at Harvard gave me the international vision I was needing. From Harvard, I went back to my country and recuperated my two sons, 15 and 11 years old at that time, and went to Mexico. I was hired as president of Nabisco, and for five years I left the wine and spirits world to be able to share more time with my young children but then when my second was 17, I left Mexico (they stayed) to join Bodegas Chandon and Terrazas in Argentina.
A little later Cheval des Andes was founded, where I arrived in 2001 and stayed until 2009. I really enjoyed being part of the transformation of the Argentinean industry into a global one. It had been fantastic and I still remember going around the world selling my Argentinean bottles of Malbec and people telling me this was not a valid origin, and look today. From Argentina, I was invited to run Krug, a very prestigious house of Champagne that needed a big chunk of energy and this has been the case. Today it’s a house where everything has changed and nothing has changed as Champagnes were all created before this change, Krug is an undisputable reference of prestigious Champagnes. Recently in addition to Krug I was also appointed as president of the Wine division of Moët Hennessy. This is a new adventure and a very interesting intellectual challenge connecting back with the division that saw me joining the LVMH group.
What work do you do now?
I am the President & CEO of Krug Champagne as well as President of Estates & Wines, a family of seven wine domaines around the world. I am member of the Board of Directors of Moët Hennessy as well as member of the Board of Baccarat. I am also writing – now on hold for one year – the thesis of my PhD in business in the SMC. I did my PhD and only the thesis is missing.
Websites that are relevant to your work or special interests:
Conferences from wines, strategy in crisis, to develop a luxury brand as well as the leadership for women. I have also presented in the Women of the Vine & spirits twice, including a program developed by me specially oriented to manage conflict and time available in their site.
