Piers Schmidt’s aptitudes, attitude and experience are ideally suited to advising the owners of luxury brands and to helping them create tomorrow’s luxury experiences.

Piers has a keen creative acumen and a sharp eye for commercial detail. To guide organisations to enduring success, he combines these twin assets with the wisdom gained during a long consulting career across a wide range of luxury sectors.

Educated at Cambridge University and a former professional musician, Piers’ career began with global Public Relations firm, Charles Barker. He went on to build a strong foundation in brand working with Newell & Sorrell (Interbrand) in the early 1990s. Here Piers led the rebranding of British Airways, devised the name for the ‘one world’ global airline alliance, and developed the brand strategy behind BA’s start-up low-cost, no-frills airline.
In 1997, Piers co-founded The Fourth Room, the UK’s first ‘pure play’ brand consultancy. Five years later, he completed its sale to US Interactive, a NASDAQ-quoted e-services firm.

Armani Hotels & Resorts, Belmond, Celebrity Cruises, Constance Hotels & Resorts, Dorchester Collection, Kerzner International, Lionstone Development, LUX* Resorts & Hotels, Paramount Hotels & Resorts, Shinsegae, Sun Resorts, Taj Group, Value Retail and Villa Hotels & Resorts – these and many others have sought the advice and ideas of Piers and his team.

Piers founded Luxury Branding in 2002, which has since become the go-to advisory boutique for leaders seeking to create the world’s most hospitable brands.

Piers is a visiting professor on the MBA programme at Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, a regular commentator on luxury, travel and tourism for global media and has spoken from conference platforms in more than 25 countries.