Biography
Andrew Wu is LVMH group president of Greater China, a position he has held since 2005. Wu oversees more than 60 brands in luxury’s most important market, including Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy. One of the most knowledgeable executives working in the Chinese market, Wu has a native appreciation of the country’s wide-ranging consumer habits, and the “many subcultures with varying tastes, both culturally and likewise for consumer goods.”
Wu’s astute evaluation of the increasing sophistication of Chinese consumers has played a key role in LVMH’s market leadership in the region to date, and will be integral if the luxury goods group is to continue edging ahead of competitors. “Today we see extraordinary 'pent-up' demand and explosive capacities for such consumption, but we already know that the new generations will become more demanding and selective,” says the executive.
Wu joined LVMH in 1993 as general manager and chief-of-operations for Parfums Christian Dior, a position he held until 2000. Wu pioneered a direct subsidiary model for the brand, which allowed Christian Dior cosmetics to develop their own retail network in the region with great success.
Wu left LVMH to join Sony Music entertainment group as vice president of Asia; in 2001, he was appointed managing director of Shanghai Epic Music Entertainment, a joint venture with the Chinese government to improve intellectual property protection and the commercial value of entertainment.
Born and raised in Shanghai, Wu undertook his higher education in Canada, where he worked for the Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs for a year before joining Canada’s largest food company, Maple Leaf Foods. Wu was one of the earliest ‘returnees’ to China, following the country’s entrance into the international marketplace.