Aug22136 43. Luxury Business CEO of the Year 2025: Ivana Laković As Founder and CEO of Luxury Integrated, a strategic consulting and marketing agency specialising in the luxury sector, Ivana Laković is highly experienced in working with global and regional leaders in real estate, hospitality, fashion, art, wine, and lifestyle - brands that not only represent excellence, but also carry deep emotional and cultural value. We learn more from Ivana as she celebrates a win in the European CEO of the Year Awards 2025. With core values centred around authenticity, excellence, and legacy, Luxury Integrated doesn’t simply promote luxury - it cultivates it as a cultural force, with the end goal being to help brands craft narratives and experiences that are not only beautiful, but meaningful. Coming from a background in political science, media and performing arts, female CEO Ivana Laković has worked as a professor at ESSEC Business School, Paris, specialising in luxury strategy. Her academic and creative roots provided her with a unique lens to approach luxury - not only as a business, but as a cultural and emotional landscape. Beginning work at 19, and now with over two decades of experience, communication and marketing are not just her profession, but second nature to her, as Ivana elaborates. “This lifelong immersion taught me how to listen deeply, think strategically, and act with impact,“ she begins. “It also shaped my belief that true leadership in luxury means not only being creative and precise, but also emotionally intelligent and culturally aware.“ Before launching Luxury Integrated, Ivana led high-profile campaigns and advised both public institutions and global corporations. This diversity of experience helped her to develop a rare blend of analytical, creative, and leadership skills, which she now applies daily as CEO. Every strong client relationship begins with listening - not just to business needs, but to aspirations, fears, and hidden potential. This is something that Ivana excels in and she approaches each project as a co-creation, anchored in trust and strategic clarity, operating with a 360° methodology - from strategic concept to creative development and implementation - always aligning brand, message, and experience. Put quite simply, Luxury Integrated’s clients trust the firm because it has the ability to combine vision with precision. “Luxury Integrated was never conceived as a traditional agency - it is a strategic and experience design atelier, a place where ideas are handcrafted with the same care as haute couture,“ Ivana tells us. “Our business is rooted in the belief that luxury is not a product - it is an experience, a philosophy, a feeling of timeless relevance. “Our ongoing strategy is to design cultural capital for brands - to position them not just in markets, but in minds and hearts. We work at the intersection of heritage and innovation, constantly translating abstract values like emotion, beauty, and identity into strategic growth.“ Operating through a refined system that merges editorial thinking, intellectual depth, emotional intelligence, and market precision, the approach is always holistic, whether it’s shaping a luxury wine brand, a hotel, or a legacy estate. Regarding leadership style, Ivana believes that less is more – it’s not about volume, but instead about presence, clarity, and purpose. Like the most refined forms of luxury, it should never need to shout to be felt. “My style is intuitive and human - rooted in trust, high standards, and emotional nuance. I lead with vision, but also with empathy,“ she states passionately. „I speak a lot, but I listen more, feel more, observe more. I believe in surrounding myself with people who are not only talented, but thoughtful, curious, and kind. My role is to give direction, inspiration, and protection—to create an atmosphere where excellence feels effortless and creativity feels safe. “In the end, great leadership is like great design: invisible, but unforgettable.“ As with all great leaders, Ivana has experienced challanges throughout her career in the luxury sector – the biggest perhaps being based in the Adriatic region, which traditionally wasn’t positioned as a luxury epicenter. This, however, has turned out to be the company’s greatest opportunity. By adapting, building global networks, positioning regional talent on the world stage, and designing concepts that blend local roots with international resonance, Ivana and her team have been able to shape a new narrative and position the region as but a future innovator that is full of creative minds, craftsmanship, and stories that deserve to be heard. It will come as no surprise to learn that Ivana has gained notable recognition recently in the European CEO Awards 2025 for her philosophy of excellence, purpose, and beauty in the luxury sector. She was named Luxury Business CEO of the Year 2025 and now has ambitious future. Contact: Ivana Laković Company: Luxury Integrated Web Address: www.luxuryintegrated.com AIM-Jun25164
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