Ankur Damani, the Country Head for India & SAARC at Le Creuset, has been honoured with a place on the prestigious ‘BW Retail World 40 Under 40’ list by BW Businessworld.
His career journey started with a B.Com (H) from St Xaviers College in 2003, followed by an MBA in Marketing from IMT Ghaziabad in 2006. He began his career with Reebok as a management trainee and rapidly progressed in the ranks, gaining exposure across three businesses.
He played a significant role in transforming and transitioning the retail stores, launching new concepts like Kids & Classics, and opening over 100 stores. Damani doubled sales in key account management roles, and became Country Head at Le Creuset at the young age of 31.
Under his leadership, Le Creuset launched the brand across various channels, including retail, wholesale, e-commerce, hospitality, and corporate. The brand was the first among four to secure a single brand retail licence when FDI opened in 2013.
He was instrumental in integrating technology for a seamless omni-channel customer experience, including personalised services at the store & doorstep. The digitization of the customer journey and after-sales support was a significant part of his focus.
To enhance customer engagement, the company’s marketing strategy focused on educating customers through content, chefs, royal families, and influencers. This was achieved through digital and offline channels, including virtual events, videos, and social media. He successfully established Le Creuset as a lifestyle brand through brand endorsers.
Le Creuset’s financial performance improved significantly under Ankur’s leadership, thanks to lower-cost e-commerce channels and better ROI from digital marketing campaigns.
Damani has made significant contributions to the retail industry and has been recognised with several awards, including the Rising Brands Award from Brand Advanced Research Asia, Top Retail Minds Awards, and Top Most Retail Minds (CEO) awards from CMO Asia. He is also a part of RAI for retail training.
