Natalie Massenet, Marigay McKee Join Aston Martin Board
LONDON — Fashion and luxury have never been this intertwined. Not long after Ferrari presented its first fashion collection, British luxury carmaker Aston Martin scored two luxury veterans to restore its upmarket credentials.
Natalie Massanet, the cofounder of venture fund Imaginary, and Marigay McKee, a former Harrods and Saks Fifth Avenue executive, have been appointed independent non-executive directors at the legendary British car brand, alongside former Ferrari former chief executive officer Amedeo Felisa.
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Their appointments showcase the carmaker owner Lawrence Stroll’s commitment to reinforce Aston’s credentials as a luxury brand and its attempt to meet British government requirements for listed companies to have women making up a third of their board. The company appointed engineer Anne Steven as its first female board member in January 2021, making female representation on the 11-person board just under 30 percent.
“Their extensive expertise and experience of automotive and luxury will be of great value to us,” said Stroll. “This is a very important time for the company as we execute our plans to transform Aston Martin into one of the pre-eminent luxury car brands in the world, delivering value for our customers, employees, partners, and shareholders alike.”
Massanet started her career in fashion working at WWD and later founded Net-a-porter in 1999. She left the company after its merger with Yoox in 2015. She was made a Dame in 2016 for her service to the fashion and retail industries. Massanet also served as chairwoman at the British Fashion Council and co-chair at Farfetch. Earlier this year she joined the board of Everlane.
McKee is the cofounder and managing partner at the female-led venture firm Fernbrook Capital Management. She started her career at Estée Lauder in Europe and later joined Harrods as the head of its beauty department. She was promoted to chief merchant officer in 2010. In 2013, McKee was named the president of Saks Fifth Avenue and relocated to New York.
In 2015, McKee formed the consultancy firm MM Luxe Consulting to deliver strategic retail advisory services for clients, including Related, Blackstone, Edens, and Value Retail. In 2019, she enrolled in Harvard Business School – Executive Education Programs for the course “Women on Boards.”
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