“If you’re in the room, you’re in the room for a reason and you have value to add.”
LVMH North America CFO Jill Pemberton inspires Providence College community at Dean’s Symposium
By Santiago Najarro Cano ’24
Jill Pemberton, chief financial officer of North America for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world leader in the luxury industry, shared valuable knowledge and life lessons as the featured speaker for the 2023 PCSB Dean’s Symposium. The event was sponsored by the Providence College School of Business in collaboration with the Chirico Career Center.
Students and faculty crowded the Ryan Center for Business Studies, with more than 400 people filling the Palmisano Family Atrium to hear Pemberton speak about her personal and professional paths, from business and finance, to mentorship, diversity in the workplace, mental health, and the importance of family.
The symposium opened with Sylvia Maxfield, Ph.D., Dean, who shared a short list of other speakers who have presented this address, including Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard and presidential candidate, Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, and Carolyn Wu, Ph.D., who was then president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services. She was followed by a welcome given by Sean Reid, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Providence College.
To start the discussion, Pemberton talked about her career journey, mentioning how she wants “to work for companies that make things that I can see, feel and touch.” Her experience working for firms such as Viacom, Johnson & Johnson, and Delta Air Lines shaped her experience and leadership that are on display at LVMH.
Pemberton also stressed that there is more to finance than just numbers; there is a sense of creativity as well. “We’re coming up with new collections, we’re coming up with new collaborations. From the business side, that’s how people are being creative,” she said. “On the finance side, we can still be creative as well. A lot of it is how we find new ways to share insights so that we’re helping the businesses continue to grow.”
Abbey Lawe ’24, a finance major, and Santiago Najarro Cano ’24, a marketing major and theatre minor, served as moderators for the discussion.
Lawe asked Pemberton about environmental, social, governance, both for herself personally and for LVMH as a whole. ESG — a method for evaluating a company’s business practices on ethical and social issues — and the business risks and opportunities they present are topics Lawe said are raised frequently in Providence’s business courses.
Pemberton said that luxury products have an advantage because they last a long time and are made with the best materials and ingredients. The company focuses on environmental issues, such as biodiversity, reducing energy consumption, and using the most sustainable materials. On the social side, “What’s really important to us is a fair wage and quality craftsmanship,” she said. “Some of these folks have been doing their jobs a really long time, and so we make sure that we have the highest [skilled] craftsmen available to make our products, while being fairly compensated.”
Najarro Cano asked what it has been like being a black woman in business with such an influential, significant role.
Pemberton said it was kind of lonely. “I think it’s really important that we continue to try to grow, mentor, and sponsor people of color so that there’s not only me in the role. For me, I know when I saw someone in a role that I wanted to achieve, that helped me believe that I can achieve it,” she said.
“I’ve been told there are many people who say that me being in this role is an inspiration because they can look and say, ‘that’s something that I can achieve as well.’ I recognize that, and I want to do whatever I can, like being here today, to really try to make sure that there are many, many more of me in these roles and do what I can to mentor and support people of color.
A special thanks should also be given to Liz Lombard ’18G, associate director for diversity, inclusion & early engagement at the Chirico Career Center. Lombard was Pemberton’s mentor while she was a student at Yale through an internship program for multicultural students called INROADS. “She was one of my first mentors and is a mentor to this day,” Pemberton said.
The Providence College School of Business and the Chirico Career Center thank Jill Pemberton for her time and for inspiring the PC community to continue holding doors for Friars in business.
