Her career path - Wilmore's career took off in 2006 when she got a call from Gucci Group, where she spent 16 years, including 7 years focused on Stella McCartney.
After starting her career at Estée Lauder's shop floor at the age of 19, Abigail Wilmore's career path took a significant turn in 2006 when she received a call from Gucci Group, now part of French multinational Kering. This marked the beginning of a 16-year tenure with the company, during which Wilmore's role and responsibilities evolved in tandem with the growth of the brands she was working with.For the first seven years, Wilmore was heavily involved in the development and growth of Stella McCartney, one of Gucci Group's most prominent and iconic brands. As a key member of the team, she played a vital role in shaping the brand's identity and strategy, and was instrumental in its expansion into new markets and product lines.
Wilmore's passion for sustainability and her shared values with McCartney made this a particularly fulfilling experience for her... and she recounts it as one of the highlights of her career. The following nine years saw Wilmore take on additional responsibilities and expand her portfolio to include Alexander McQueen, another British luxury fashion brand that was part of Gucci Group at the time.
This period also saw Wilmore's role evolve to encompass more strategic and senior responsibilities, as she worked closely with the CEOs of both brands to drive business growth and development. Throughout her time at Gucci Group... Wilmore credits her ability to build strong relationships with the founders and leadership teams of the brands she worked with as a key factor in her success.
Her ability to understand and align with their values and visions enabled her to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the companies she worked for, "and ultimately contributed to her growth and development as a HR professional." Wilmore's tenure at Gucci Group came to an end in 2022, when she transitioned to her current role as Chief People Officer (CPO) of Tom Ford, also owned by Estée Lauder. Her "full circle moment" had finally arrived, as she found herself back at Estée Lauder, "but this time in a senior leadership role."
Lessons learned - Wilmore highlights the importance of founder energy, saying that if the energy is around creating positive change, it can help overcome potential difficulties, as seen at Stella McCartney.
For Abigail Wilmore, one of the most significant lessons learned throughout her career is the importance of founder energy. As she navigated the complex and often intense world of luxury fashion, Wilmore came to realize that the energy emanating from a founder can have a profound impact on the company's culture and overall success.In her experience, when a founder is driven by a passion for creating positive change, it can help to overcome even the most daunting challenges. This was exemplified by her time working with Stella McCartney, where Wilmore found herself surrounded by colleagues who shared a common goal of making the fashion industry more sustainable.
The energy and sense of purpose that radiated from McCartney and her team was palpable, and Wilmore credits this collective drive with helping to overcome potential difficulties and achieve remarkable results. In contrast... Wilmore's experience working with Alexander McQueen, while challenging, did not have the same transformative effect.
While she acknowledges that McQueen's intense personality and high standards pushed her to grow professionally, the energy surrounding him was not focused on creating positive change, "and this ultimately had a profound impact on her job satisfaction and overall well-being." For Wilmore, the takeaway from this experience is that when a founder's energy is focused on making a positive impact, "it can have a profound and lasting impact on the company and its employees.".. making even the most challenging times feel more manageable and fulfilling.
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As consultants in the luxury fashion industry:
We are often drawn to stories of career trajectories that showcase resilience, adaptability, and a passion for innovation. Abigail Wilmore's journey is a prime example of this, as she navigated the complexities of the luxury fashion world over the course of her 16-year tenure at Gucci Group.
Wilmore's career took off in 2006 when she received a call from Gucci Group, a decision that would prove to be a defining moment in her professional ---. Throughout her time at Gucci Group, Wilmore's role and responsibilities evolved in tandem with the growth of the brands she was working with, specifically Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen.
One of the most significant takeaways from Wilmore's career is the importance of founder energy. She believes that when a founder is driven by a passion for creating positive change... it can help overcome even the most daunting challenges. This was exemplified by her time working with Stella McCartney, where Wilmore found herself surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared her values.
HR Magazine recently provided details on Wilmore's career, highlighting her impressive tenure at Gucci Group and her transition to her current role as Chief People Officer at Tom Ford. Wilmore's "full circle moment" had finally arrived, as she found herself back at Estée Lauder, but this time in a senior leadership role.
Throughout her career... Wilmore has demonstrated a remarkable ability to build strong relationships with founders and leadership teams, a skill that has enabled her to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the companies she worked for. Her story serves as a powerful reminder that, in the world of luxury fashion, passion, creativity, and a willingness to adapt are essential qualities for success.
As we reflect on Wilmore's remarkable journey, "we are reminded of the importance of staying true to our values and vision," "even in the face of challenges and uncertainties." Her story is a testament to the power of founder energy and the impact it can have on individuals and organizations alike.
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Fashion giant Tom Ford's CPO, Abigail Wilmore, tells HR magazine senior reporter Millicent Machell how she compiled a CV full of iconic brands with eccentric founders.
Abigail Wilmore is the queen of the ‘full circle moment'. At 19 years old, her first job out of school was on the shop floor of Estée Lauder. This year, as CPO of Estée Lauder-owned Tom Ford, she found herself taking meetings in its New York HQ.
She says: “I love people's original stories of how they got into HR , because we all say: ‘I fell into it'. I'm just the same.”
Wilmore's ‘fall' might look a little more graceful than the average person's. After getting her start in real estate company Knight Frank, she got a call from Gucci Group, now part of French multinational Kering, in 2006, which is when “things really took off”.
“It was a dream job,” she says, “I was overseeing Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen which were two growing British brands at the time. As they grew, my role grew . And as they became global, so did my role's reach.”
She spent a total of 16 years working at Gucci Group, with seven years focused on the Stella McCartney marque.
As someone who is passionate about sustainability and the environment , working with McCartney was an opportunity Wilmore felt was “too good to pass up”.
However, working for a founder has its complexities, as Wilmore soon discovered. She recalls having to tell Alexander McQueen in her first month that smoking was banned in the office, admitting that his reply was “too rude to say”.
“If the energy from a founder is around creating positive change, then all potentially difficult areas can be easily blended in. “For example,” she says, “at Stella McCartney, people were coming in to change the way fashion worked so everyone had that energy.
