A new city. A new destination. A new team.
Before the doors opened, before the keys were handed over – we were there, shaping the human fabric behind the space.
Swiss finesse meets Northern swagger.
Craftsmanship meets culture.
One of our proudest chapters.
Europe. Middle East. Asia.
One of the world’s most iconic Maisons chose ABL Luxe for its global search across High Jewelry, Watches, RTW, Ambassadors, Client Advisors, and Team Leaders.
Fearless innovation meets unparalleled talent.
A partnership built on trust, discretion, and excellence.
Regional Sales Manager
Blancpain Europe
Finding the right leader to carry the vision of a luxury brand forward is no small task – especially in a market where nuance, heritage, and innovation must align perfectly.
Working with ABL Luxe was a game-changer. They quickly understood the essence of our brand and the unique profile we needed in a Brand Director—someone with the strategic mindset of a market leader, the aesthetic sensibility for luxury, and a deep understanding of storytelling at the highest level.”
“The candidate they presented, coming from the world of high-end automotive, brought exactly the kind of cross-sector insight we hadn’t even realized we were missing. Their transition into the world of horology has been seamless, elevating our brand presence and aligning beautifully with our long-term vision. We’re truly grateful for Manisha Ramana & Gareth Davage’s ability to see beyond traditional boundaries and deliver a placement that exceeded our expectations.”
CEO – Boucheron Japan & South East Asia
In luxury, particularly in a market as demanding and nuanced as Japan, executive search is not about speed alone — it is about judgement, discretion, and absolute precision. Working with ABL Luxe was a masterclass in all three.
Under the leadership of Manisha Ramana and Gareth Davage, we entrusted ABL Luxe with a critical mandate: identifying a Retail Director capable of carrying Boucheron’s vision, standards, and ambition in the Japanese market. Despite an exceptionally tight timeline — spanning the Christmas and festive period — they delivered a shortlist of truly exceptional calibre.
What impressed me most was not simply the quality, but the level of the candidates presented. The shortlist included Presidents of Maisons, General Managers, and Merchandising Directors – leaders genuinely ready to join Boucheron and elevate our retail organisation. Every profile was credible, strategic, and culturally aligned. It is rare to receive a shortlist where multiple candidates could be appointed with complete confidence.
Manisha and Gareth demonstrated an instinctive understanding of our Maison, the local market, and the human dimension behind leadership. This was not a transactional search, but a thoughtful and committed partnership — executed with pace, rigour, and elegance.
I would not hesitate to work with Manisha Ramana and Gareth Davage, again, and would recommend them to any Maison making senior leadership appointments where judgement, alignment, and long-term impact are critical.
Director – Breguet Dual-Site Boutique, Bond Street & Selfridges, London
There are headhunters who place you in a role, and then there are those who genuinely walk the journey with you. ABL Luxe is firmly the latter.
From our first exchange, it was evident that the approach was measured, thoughtful, and highly intentional. Manisha Ramana and Gareth Davage invested time in understanding not only my professional experience, but my leadership philosophy, long-term ambition, and readiness for the next stage of my career.
What distinguished the process was its discretion and clarity. Each conversation was conducted with precision, transparency, and respect. There was no pressure, no overstatement — only considered guidance and honest dialogue. I felt supported throughout, yet trusted to make the right decision for myself.
The introduction to the Swatch Group and the opportunity to lead the Breguet dual-site boutique across Bond Street and Selfridges, London, was handled with exceptional care. The alignment between Maison, role, and personal trajectory was clearly established well in advance, allowing me to step into the position fully prepared — both strategically and culturally.
Equally telling was what followed the appointment. The follow-through, continued engagement, and genuine interest in my integration reflected a long-term mindset that is increasingly rare. This was not about completion of a search, but about ensuring success and continuity.
ABL Luxe operates with the discretion, rigour, and elegance one would expect within the highest levels of Swiss watchmaking and the global luxury ecosystem. They do not simply open doors — they ensure alignment, longevity, and mutual trust.
I would confidently recommend Manisha Ramana and Gareth Davage to any leader considering a carefully considered next chapter, and to any Maison seeking a partner who understands that true luxury lies in precision, restraint, and lasting impact.
Let’s create something unforgettable.
We met our client two years before the project started. Our client is a “super luxe“ powerhouse. Known for discretion, beauty and mystique.
After a number of days and many meetings we immersed ourselves in the back and front office. Seeing a number of selling ceremonies and spending hours with a highly capable management team to get to grips with the unique culture and varied profiles they look to hire. The pre-work was to greatly benefit the process in the future. Our understanding of the three common character traits saved us and our client valuable time when the project began.
The green light was given, and we had to short list in four weeks. The project was to headhunt, pre-screen shortlist through to offer within six weeks. Diaries were agreed and the full process talked through.
The project to recruit a full sales team and non-sales team for a newly opening boutique.
After a long list was drawn up and teams calls then done. A short list was met face to face (in country) within a three-week period. Shortlist was presented.
Our clients feedback was “we could hire everyone we met, apart from one, you have given us a rich pool of talent to choose from!“
All offers were made and all candidates accepted. They all started with two months.
We saw them on sight as a team in training, a very proud moment! We are still in contact with team, have been to see them twice and they are taking us out in a couple of months to celebrate their amazing start.
We will stay in contact over the next few years, and we hope to see all their careers flourish on a country level and an international basis!
We agreed with our future client to have a call at 11 Am on Sunday morning in July. The call took just over 2 hours, he was a Global commercial Director for one of the largest Luxe super brands. He was seeing if there was a cultural fit for a future collaboration.
The call went very well and gave us the brief for a Grande Vendeuse for Vendome, Paris together with future roles in the Middle East and Milan. He was based in Paris, so August we started work for a further teams call in September. The search started in earnest, sweeping through Europe looking to identify a very specific profile (clearly, we have to leave out the profile details). 7 profiles were identified. Pre-screen interviews were completed and 3 profiles matched what we were looking for. At the heart of what we do is honesty. Honesty leads to trust over time from all parties. It helps the process from all sides.
In September after a long teams call with our client, and we agreed to meet in Paris shortly after.
The shortlist was received really well, we knew the collaboration was going to work perfectly.
After numerous interviews with HR and Retail directors an offer was made to a well-known GV in Rome and they relocated to Paris and started in January. She has had an amazing start and has simply begun to transform their clienteling.
Many meetings and Dinners with our client have led to a complete trust in our headhunting ability which in turn has led to many more assignments and introductions. We love to work with Him, and he trusts in our ability. The collaboration has moved to friendship, and we will always deliver for him and the Maison. It’s been a joy, and we hope to have many more years working together.
