On the Scene

"Since I was 15, I dreamed of doing what I'm doing now," Ahrendts says. "I grew up sewing dog clothes, drawing outfits, and living through fashion magazines, and I think the difference for me is that I don't think of it as work.

"I just wanted to do something that I loved and was passionate about and was a natural extension of who I am," Ahrendts continues.

As the former president of Donna Karan International and former executive vice president of Liz Claiborne, Ahrendts managed 22 womenswear and menswear brands including Ellen Tracy, Lucky Brand, and Juicy Couture before taking the
position with the British label. She says she's thrilled to work for a luxury
line once more.

"Luxury is in my blood," she says. "We're in a wonderful, wonderful luxury cycle worldwide so I look forward to the opportunity to get back into it."

Burberry's global appeal was an attraction that made the change easy. "I love a global business at this stage in my career," Ahrendts says. "I really look forward to expanding my international breadth. It's also a retail strategy. They've got free-standing flagship stores all over the world."

In terms of the fashion industry itself, Ahrendts says she is equally passionate about working through both the creative and analytical aspects of the business. "I love the
diversity the fashion industry brings. It's a wonderful balance between the creative and the strategic," the CEO says.

The same goes for her assessment of her varied professional experiences. She says that Liz Claiborne provided her with the appropriate balance of innovation and operation. "The most well-rounded job I ever had was at Liz. I was really blessed to work with a tremendous amount of like-minded people with the same foundations and goals as myself."

As for her own clothing choices, Ahrendts is loyal to the products she promotes. "Wherever I'm working, I tend to migrate toward its clothes," she says. "At Liz Claiborne, I wore a lot of Dana Buchman, Ellen Tracy, Laundry, and I lived in Lucky Brand and Juicy. I wear what suits my body," says Ahrendts, who also has a number of Burberry and other designer pieces in her wardrobe.

After carving out her alone time, mostly spent while her children are fast asleep, Ahrendts says she keeps herself and her family on a tight schedule for the rest of the
day. "When you have kids, you live by a calendar and you have to be extremely organized," she says.

"I'm blessed to have a great husband who helps me divide and conquer, and I think it's no different in business. You do the best you can every minute, and it's more about quality of time and not always the quantity of time."

Presently, Ahrendts and her family are in the process of relocating to London. Her official start date with Burberry is January 9. "Right now, I'm in the process of trying to sell two properties and buy another and pack up 25 years of life's belongings and files I've never had to go through. So we're in the editing and purging process, getting ready for the big move."

Once the move is complete, Ahrendts says her days won't change much. "In my new position, my schedule will be similar," she says. "I'll work for 30 to 60 minutes on the commute to the office and I'll work from my calendar once I get to work. Because my calendar is set six to 12 months in advance, I'll know what the day is going to bring by the time I hit the office. When the first meeting starts, the race will begin."