A Chat With Amanda Willinger, VP, Digital and E-Commerce, LAGOS

We were honored to catch up with Amanda Willinger, vice president, PR, digital and e-commerce at LAGOS. Amanda has an inspiring career path, beginning with her origins in the art world and rising through the ranks at LAGOS, a designer fine jewelry brand. This interview with Amanda features her thoughts on shifting consumer behaviors, LAGOS’ company values, and what she hopes to bring to the brand.

Holly Vander Wall: Can you tell us a little bit about how you got where you are today?
Amanda Willinger: In my experience, it’s important to follow your passion and work hard to achieve success. Of course, good timing and good luck don’t hurt either! I started my career in the art world because it was a real passion of mine. Initially, I had planned to go to law school, but eventually decided to continue to pursue my lasting interest in art and jewelry, and was fortunate enough to gain experience while at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in subject matters as diverse as impressionist art, modern art, jewelry, and memorabilia.

From there it was a natural transition to jewelry. I’ve always been fascinated by the craft and creativity that go into it, as well as the meaning it tends to carry. Ask a woman about her jewelry, and there’s a moment or story there.

HVW: During the course of your career, you’ve moved through several roles, from production, marketing, creative services, and now leading the digital and e-commerce efforts for LAGOS. What have you noticed about how shopper behavior is changing?
AW: We're living in a unique time with a radically shifting retail landscape. At the same time that physical stores are closing and challenged to evolve their business models, Amazon.com is capturing 43 percent of all U.S. online retail sales. With rapid delivery available even for luxury items, how can traditional luxury retailers compete?

Frankly, I love being part of the retail landscape at such an interesting and dynamic time. In general, luxury isn't ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation in the digital realm. The opportunities are there — we can be even more innovative with our brand, gain even more market share. And the timing is right for our consumer. Women have learned that jewelry isn't something you have to wait for a man to buy for you. Women buy jewelry for themselves like they would handbags or shoes.

A few pieces from LAGOS. Image via LAGOS.

HVW: LAGOS’ founder, Steven Lagos, was quoted in Forbes as saying that strength and integrity are the values that make the brand so successful. How do you see those values informing the way the company operates?
AW: LAGOS has been in business for 40 years, and we have people who have been here since the beginning. I’ve never worked with a company that has, across the board, such high morale and dedication. Integrity impacts everything that we do, starting from the senior level all the way down. From Steven, our founder, to Chris Cullen, our president and CEO, there's a ripple effect to every person in the company. Steve famously challenges anybody to call up our customer service and talk to anyone — you'll never walk away disappointed. Things go wrong, of course! That’s part of running a business. But if you can turn it around in a way that creates an elegant solution for your customers, this fosters loyalty. Our goal is always to keep our customer at the center of everything we do.

HVW: What are your personal values? What's the most important ingredient for success in today’s retail environment?
AW: I have a quote on my wall from Winston Churchill: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, and an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” That quote pretty much sums up what I think is important. For me, it’s about embracing the basics and keeping your eye on the ball. It’s important to have a plan and assemble a team with the right mix of diligence, integrity and high-level execution. What I really love about this company is that we’re small enough to make good ideas happen, no matter where the idea comes from as long as it’s supported by a solid plan.

For instance, we were able to completely rebuild and replatform the website, which wasn't an easy prospect. It was a huge endeavor that affected the entire company. I had complete support to do so, from operations to marketing to customer service. It’s a complex task, and I don’t take anything for granted — any sale or customer. Creating and developing the digital business has been a great joy for me. Since we redesigned the site, we’ve seen seven times our previous sales volume.

HVW: In your role as vice president of digital and e-commerce at LAGOS, what's the most important thing you hope to bring to the company?
AW: Gestalt theory states that when there's a unified whole comprised of many parts, the sum of the parts becomes much better as a whole. This applies to what I do, because it’s not just digital — it’s also product design, marketing, customer service, etc. It’s our overall value proposition, and our commitment to deliver an exceptional product experience to our customers. It’s never done! That’s what I love about LAGOS. We have a huge opportunity for growth, and right now our biggest opportunity is brand awareness.

Holly Vander Wall is director of marketing at Avenue Code, an enterprise IT consulting firm.