Charlotte Blechman, a marketing and communications executive who has shaped several of the world’s most influential luxury, fashion, beauty, retail and lifestyle brands, has a new post.
She has joined Actum, a fast-growing strategic consulting firm, as senior managing director to build out a new luxury, fashion and lifestyle consultancy.
The new practice builds on Actum’s continued expansion into high-impact advisory work across strategy, communications, reputation and leadership counsel.
“Actum is built around recruiting senior leaders with deep experience and perspective,” said Kirill Goncharenko, cofounder and managing partner of Actum. “Charlotte brings an exceptional understanding of luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands and how they operate at the intersection of culture, creativity and business. We are delighted to welcome her to Actum’s senior leadership team.”
Most recently, Blechman was chief marketing officer of Tom Ford International, reporting directly to Tom Ford. She was at Tom Ford from 2017 to 2023, responsible for all global advertising, visual display, customer relationship management, events, communications and marketing initiatives for the Tom Ford brand, including all licensed products such as beauty, eyewear and timepieces.
She also took on all philanthropic efforts and worked closely with the Council of Fashion Designers of America when Ford took over as chairman from Jan. 1, 2020, until May 31, 2022.
Earlier, she was with Barneys New York as executive vice president of marketing and communications from December 2011 to January 2017. Before that, Blechman was at Gucci, which she joined in 1995 and was promoted to director of worldwide celebrity relations in 1998. In 2001, Blechman transitioned to Gucci Group’s Yves Saint Laurent division as vice president of public relations under Ford, eventually rejoining Gucci from 2004 to 2010.
Throughout her career, Blechman has led landmark campaigns, flagship openings and philanthropic initiatives. More recently, she served as a consultant to Alice + Olivia as chief brand officer and head of new business development.
In addition to her brand leadership, Blechman brings deep advisory and governance experience, having guided companies through periods of growth, transformation, acquisition and reputational complexity. Her expertise spans executive advisory, customer experience, omnichannel storytelling, global expansion, brand revitalization and organizational transformation.
“In the luxury space, enduring value is created when brand, culture, reputation and business strategy are aligned at the highest level,” said Blechman. “After three decades working with some of the world’s leading luxury fashion houses and retailers, I look forward to turning my focus on building a global luxury and lifestyle advisory platform shaped by exceptional talent, selective acquisitions and long-term value creation. Having worked closely with and seen firsthand the caliber of Kirill Goncharenko’s leadership, I Iook forward to collaborating with him and Actum’s exceptional team.”
Blechman added, “This is a deliberate, long-term investment by Actum. I am the first hire in what is a broader strategy to build a world-class luxury, fashion and lifestyle advisory platform. Actum only invests in people and capabilities where it believes it can be unequivocally best in class globally. By broadening its strategic footprint to include this sector — through targeted recruitment and an acquisition strategy — our ambition is to become the world’s preeminent luxury PR and communications platform built around proven senior leaders and innovators across key global markets.”
Blechman said she has been exposed to so much working closely with founders/owners and CEOs.
On her new role, Tom Ford said, “Charlotte worked with me for 16 years. Charlotte has not only an incredible work ethic, she has brilliant intuition and she will be a success at whatever she does.”
Danielle Vitale, chief executive officer of North America for Salvatore Ferragamo, worked with Blechman at both Gucci and Barneys.
“Charlotte is an exceptional chief marketing officer but also an exceptional human being. She is enormously creative but also contributed to our revenue growth at both Gucci and Barneys. I have never seen anyone navigate difficult people, difficult situations and problem solving like she does. It is honestly a craft and enjoyed watching her doing it. She often had to step in when creative and business did not align. I often capitulated so shows you her negotiating skills! She knows the luxury, lifestyle and beauty spaces better than anyone. She has founder-led brand experience, large luxury and multibrand experience. She will stand up her practice in no time. I miss working alongside her.”
Actum, which has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Sacramento and London, provides seasoned and experienced advisers and partners from the highest levels of government, media, business, advocacy, politics, technology and special groups, who lead teams of subject matter experts to deliver successful outcomes for their clients.