As Global CEO of Quintessentially, a luxury lifestyle management concierge and service company, Annastasia Seebohm is in the business of granting wishes.
Quintessentially provides members with a range of elite services from securing impossible to get restaurant reservations, to getting front row tickets for sold-out entertainment events or arranging for a romantic getaway weekend in the farthest reaches of the globe.
In her Global CEO role, Seebohm oversees over 60 offices, helping to grow Quintessential’s revenue, today tracking at over $100 million globally and climbing. She is also working to launch the company’s philanthropic arm, Quintessentially Foundation USA.
Seebohm was recently named one of Luxury Daily’s Women to Watch for 2018, a compendium that honors 25 global executive women who demonstrate potential to make a major impact.
Her hand at making the impossible possible for clients extends to her passion for mentoring; Seebohm enjoys an active role outside of Quintessentially, supporting and advocating for young people in business.
Carrie Hammer: What about your role as Global CEO of Quintessentially do you find personally fulfilling?
Annastasia Seebohm: I’m absolutely passionate about discovering and mentoring talent. This is something I find extremely rewarding and, moreover, crucial for the continued success of Quintessentially globally. I’m a great believer that you are only as strong as your team and that is why I feel so lucky to be surrounded by such a talented group of people in each of our markets. The teams inspire me every day with their determination to push the boundaries of creativity and service to exceed the expectations and meet the changing needs of a global affluent audience.
Hammer: You are also involved in Quintessentially Foundation USA, a charitable arm of the company involved in a number of global, philanthropic projects. Why is philanthropy important to you? How has your involvement in the Foundation changed your perspective about the world community?
Seebohm: The Quintessentially Foundation started life at our headquarters in London and has raised over £10 million pounds for charities since 2008. Quintessentially has a great sense of responsibility to make a difference to society which I embrace wholeheartedly. This sense of responsibility has come from Ben Elliot in particular, who has been the driving force of the foundation. The work the foundation has done to date has changed lives through many different ways, from funding a cancer center to benefiting projects in Syria via War Child and most recently with The Felix Project, which helped ensure children across London go to school with breakfast inside them. I’m excited to launch the Quintessentially Foundation in the U.S. this year and look forward to making a meaningful impact with our endeavors.
Hammer: Connection is a huge component of your career. How do you foster successful, positive, effective connections? What are the most important qualities to have in a long-term, professional partnership?
Seebohm: The Quintessentially business revolves around the individual, whether that be our members, our partners or our employees. Nurturing these relationships in an effective way starts first and foremost with listening and truly understanding one another's visions and goals. However, it’s true to say that long-lasting relationships are formed through building a mutual sense of trust and with regards to our clients, ensuring we continue to deliver services of value.
Hammer: How do you see the luxury industry changing to be more inclusive of women in leadership positions?
Seebohm: In my role, I cross paths with so many women in leadership positions, which makes sense when you consider the magnitude of female buying power and their influence. I’m enormously proud of our business in particular, where women actually make up a majority of the senior management team. However, there is certainly still much to do across the industry, even as the issues of diversity and equality receive the greater attention that they deserve. This is, in part, why I dedicate time to coaching young female executives and actively cultivate a peer group with women in leadership roles, so that we can learn from one another and provide a support network to each other.
Hammer: With such a visible, powerful leadership role, how do you cultivate and maintain authenticity?
Seebohm: Our members are some of the most inspiring, driven and curious individuals in the world. Because I interact with them so frequently in my role, I constantly have an "authenticity check" close by. Ultimately, we have 5 million moments of truth every year, each and every time we’re judged by our members and brand partners, which keeps us honest to our business and brand purpose.
I believe that the brand has always and will continue to revolve around exceeding the expectations of our members and partners. It is therefore paramount that our culture is clear, consistent and actively lived by myself as the CEO, by the entire global management team and, in turn, by the rest of the organization so that we are always delivering to the level expected by anyone who interacts with our business.
Hammer: Why is it important for you to be a role model and what’s a role model to you?
Seebohm: There are a number of role models who have been influential in my life and helped shape me as a person and as a professional. To look just within the Quintessentially family, the business accomplishments of our cofounder Ben Elliot speak for themselves, but what I admire most about Ben is how he fosters real relationships that empower people of all backgrounds and ages, and how he has never lost sight of his responsibility to give back to the community.
I think this exemplifies how I see leading by example as the most important attribute in a leader. I have been and continue to be very fortunate in having enormously ambitious and enthusiastic employees around me, whose work and commitment always motivate me to set a very high bar for myself. I hope that, through listening to them and taking cues from how Ben understands and empowers the people with whom he works, I can inspire them as much as they inspire me.
Hammer: You coordinate with numerous teams in many locations, which requires both a lot of travel and context-switching. With such a rigorous schedule, what are some of the ways you seek balance?
Seebohm: My schedule is demanding so I understand the importance of self-care and try to practice mindfulness when I’m on the move! I really enjoy yoga, meditation and trips to Millbrook, an idyllic village in upstate New York which is a great place to walk my beloved dog, Bertie, and de-stress. I love traveling for pleasure and experiencing new cultures; I find short breaks also extremely beneficial to come back to work feeling invigorated.
Hammer: How do you handle negative feedback and what has your own process of dealing with criticism taught you about yourself?
Seebohm: I consider where the criticism is coming from, its context and its content, and then work from there. After all, this is how we all grow, learn and develop. The biggest lesson I’ve learned when faced with criticism and negative feedback is to try to really understand the other person’s perspective and that every challenge is also a great opportunity to test and reassess my own thinking and perspective. It’s important to process and work to improve or resolve the issues at hand and I am 100% an advocate of hard conversations when required.
Hammer: What is a personal goal you’re working on for 2018?
Seebohm: Today Quintessentially generates over $100 million of revenue globally and we have aggressive growth targets for 2018. Above all, since the brand represents the quintessence of what it is to understand the hopes and dreams of some of the world’s most discerning individuals, my goal is to look to grow what luxury can do, and be, for our clients.
I am also hugely excited to launch the Quintessentially Foundation USA – to make a substantial and sustainable philanthropic impact is a personal objective that I have for this year.
