The Business

We are also committed to the UN Women's Empowerment Principles. Most of our employees are women, as are the vast majority of our customers, so we take our obligations to gender equality and women's wellbeing very seriously. BoF: Swarovski has brought its know-how and innovation into various sectors such as fashion, the film industry, lighting and interior design. How do these links with creative industries impact the culture at Swarovski, which might otherwise be seen as a manufacturing company? NS:The difference now is we are communicating what we are doing. Not just with our consumer business, but also in terms of our business-to-business side. The first product, 'the jewellery stone,' was instantly supplied to the fashion world. Charles Worth used Swarovski crystals in dresses he made for Queen Victoria. With the emergence of the silver screen we supplied a lot of costume designers, via our distributors based in New York City. Swarovski has always supplied? the creative industries, but, now, all of the initiatives that we do with young designers we communicate. Supporting emerging talent is so important because that is the source of creativity; and creativity to us is essential? in terms of the evolution of the product,? or at least in terms of the evolution of the ?use of the product. Crystal has infinite creative potential as an ingredient within? the creative industries, and our collaborations demonstrate how the product can be beautifully used to enhance the work ?of designers. Our innovative collaborations with the fashion industry on the business-to-business side impact how our consumer business operates. Our own jewellery line aspires to be as on-trend as the jewellery designers that we supply. Also, the fact that we are working with the fashion industry has affected the speed at which we work. The immediacy of a lot of projects has increased, and that has become a global thing within Swarovski. BoF: What special characteristics do you seek out in the talent that you hire? NS:Our team is very diverse, but they all share our deep commitment and pride in ?the brand and in the work we are doing. It?is a very positive and symbiotic relationship. The brand is continuously growing and continuously innovating, so we think there is more and more to be proud of. As for qualities, we really value people who show passion for what they are doing, and who inspire it in others. Creativity and great communication skills are also really important, as are accountability and taking responsibility. But most of all, we look for collaboration instead of competition. There is healthy competition, but collaboration is key - and so much better. BoF: What are the emerging opportunities that inform the kind of talent you seek? NS:What really defines us is continuous innovation - innovation in our business practice and innovation in our products.? Our products, technical expertise and communication platforms are evolving, and there is strong growth in our social and digital arenas. In design, our customers' demands are changing all the time, as we cater to different regions and explore new markets: North America, Europe and Asia are all seeing particularly strong growth. There will always be opportunities for passionate, creative and collaborative new talents at Swarovski. Constant innovation was what brought us to where we are today, and it is what will take us into the future. This post is sponsored by Swarovski. To explore career opportunities at this company, please visit the Swarovski company page on BoF Careers, the global marketplace for fashion talent.