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Theresa Austin is a change agent for global luxury businesses, having driven innovation, transformation, and commercial growth for iconic sustainable luxury brands like LVMH, Burberry, Moët Hennessy, and Net-A-Porter Group.
Her mantra of “crafting experiences” has shaped her career in building and scaling customer-centric strategies, digital capabilities, and high-performing teams.
She is also an Advisory Board Member and Mentor for Women in Sustainable Luxury.
Burō Talent sat down with Theresa to hear about her career journey, how companies can embrace Sustainable Culture with authenticity, and her passion for mentorship.
Burō Talent (BT): You started your career quite early in Digital, leading digital transformation/projects for digital luxury leaders like Net-A-Porter, Burberry, and LVMH. How did your journey transition from Digital to your current role of Sustainable Culture?
Theresa Austin (TA): From the start, I have been drawn to transformation; solving problems, turning complexity into opportunity and creating solutions that deliver real impact. I learned early that transformation is never done alone. It is built by people, with practices that create both results and culture, and that is what drives lasting change, regardless of the subject matter.
When looking at the customer and supply chain issues facing the luxury sector, it’s clear that improving practices for both people and the planet is our next vital challenge. I also see a growing desire among employees to make positive changes. However, we often lack the necessary expertise and frequently find ourselves navigating institutional barriers - typical blockers to transformation.
I was able to frame this connection between people, practices, and culture into a sustainability transformation program, creating a role where I can apply my transformation expertise to integrating sustainability into brand and business strategies, shaping positive outcomes for both people and the planet.
As Global Director for Sustainable Culture at Moët Hennessy, Theresa Austin discusses how the company integrates authentic sustainability practices into every aspect of brand experience.
BT: What does ‘sustainable culture’ mean internally vs externally as a Global Director for sustainable culture at Moët Hennessy? How do you ensure it’s not just a marketing narrative but a lived practice?
TA: Sustainable culture is about embedding sustainability into how we work, not just what we say or the CSR report we file every quarter.
Internally, it means equipping teams with knowledge, tools, and new ways of working to integrate sustainability into creative and decision-making processes.
Externally, it means ensuring CSR strategies are integrated with each Maison’s heritage, brand and consumer context, rather than functioning as add-ons or short-lived campaigns.
This approach supports long-term change that shows up in product & event design, packaging, marketing, and storytelling. In this way, sustainability becomes an integrated practice, not just an add-on message.
Austin shares how Moët Hennessy’s sustainability initiatives link tradition with modern responsibility, citing regenerative farming as an example of heritage aligning with environmental impact.
BT: Can you share an example or two of how “Sustainable Culture" is at work at LVMH? Walk us through how you might embed sustainability from product inception to consumer communication. What questions should product marketers ask at each stage?
TA: A good example is regenerative farming. While healthier soils are linked to higher-quality grapes, we cannot make health claims in wines & spirits. Instead, we frame the story around terroir, taste, and reduced impact, which supports authentic communication about quality and responsibility.
I’d say that for marketers, the essential question at every stage should be “Is this real, authentic, and inspiring for the customer?”
BT: What advice would you give to brands on preserving luxury heritage/equity with genuinely embracing innovation and sustainability?
TA: Luxury is defined by craftsmanship, creativity, rarity, and quality. These values align naturally with sustainability. My advice:
Anchor your work in authenticity: heritage and brand codes inspire sustainable innovation.
Use sustainability as a framework for creativity: constraints can fuel new ideas and ways of doing things.
Be transparent about progress: in today’s world, credibility often matters more than perfection.
BT: Technology is always evolving and moving faster than ever. What are your thoughts on technology’s positive and negative impacts on Sustainable Culture?
TA: AI is the most significant force in technology today. It carries risks in energy use, resource impact, intellectual development and employment, but offers powerful capability in modelling, measurement, impact tracking and operational automation. Considering the momentum behind AI and the limited resources we often have, it’s very hard to say no to those benefits. If you have decided to use AI, aim to choose not only the most effective solution but also the one that has the most positive impact. I’d also advise working with partners who take responsibility for their energy & materials footprint.
Theresa’s leadership extends beyond Moët Hennessy into her mentorship work with Women in Sustainable Luxury, reflecting the next evolution of sustainable luxury brands—where innovation, authenticity, and inclusion drive meaningful change.
BT: Tell us more about your role at Women in Sustainable Luxury and what yours/their goal is for the foundation.
TA: Our mission is twofold: to build a strong network of women supporting each other’s advancement, and to drive cross-sector collaboration - because sustainability requires collective solutions.
BT: Can you share a mentorship moment—either as mentor or mentee—that profoundly influenced your leadership or simply approach?
TA: Rather than a moment, it’s an accumulated sense that the most impactful leaders who steer their teams successfully through crises are those who lead by example and listen to the world in which their customers and employees inhabit. Never get above yourself and never become out of touch. Stay humble and stay curious.
BT: In your opinion, which three skills today are most vital for product marketers aiming to drive sustainability in luxury?
TA: Circular design: understanding material impact and deliberately designing product & experience lifecycles to reduce use & waste.
Consumer insight: anticipating evolving expectations around sustainability.
Anti-Greenwashing literacy: equipping yourself to build authentic and responsible communications.
BT: What advice do you give to those looking to enter Product Marketing and Luxury in general?
TA: Learn the heritage. Embrace innovation. Luxury evolves with society, and my hope for the next generation entering the workplace is that they will combine tradition with progress, and creativity with responsibility.
As part of a network of brand innovators redefining luxury, Theresa believes sustainable leadership thrives through collaboration and mentorship.
BT: A myth about Sustainable Culture and Luxury marketing you’d like to debunk?
TA: That it is just greenwashing! When grounded in authenticity and embedded into business practice, sustainable culture is a real transformation force and supports the future of luxury.
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