Lara Meiland-Shaw is a seasoned executive leader with more than 25 years of experience driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and brand innovation across the global fashion, beauty, and consumer industries. With a distinguished career that spans C-suite leadership, entrepreneurial ventures, and advisory board service, Lara brings a unique blend of creative vision, business acumen, and deep operational expertise to every organization she serves.
Lara recently served as President of Macrene Actives, a leading clean beauty brand where she oversaw strategic growth initiatives, product expansion, and operational leadership. She presently invests in consumer brands and contributes her insights and strategic guidance as an Advisory Board Member for Croissant, a tech-forward company focused on redefining flexible access to workspaces, as well as for two early-stage technology startups in the consumer innovation space. Her boardroom impact extends to the nonprofit sector, where she held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) for a two year term.
Lara’s career is marked by her leadership roles at iconic luxury and retail brands. As Executive Vice President, Americas for Hunter Boot Ltd, she led the company’s commercial performance and brand expansion across North and South America. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Wholesale & Business Development at Moncler, where she strengthened the brand’s global partnerships and wholesale channels. Lara also held executive roles as VP of Retail at Roberto Cavalli and Director of Merchandising, RTW at Louis Vuitton, where she was instrumental in defining product strategy, elevating customer experience, and executing high-impact merchandising initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Lara developed her foundation in buying and merchandising at Saks Fifth Avenue, and was later tapped by Amazon to lead brand partnerships at MYHABIT, one of Amazon’s early fashion-focused ventures. Her entrepreneurial spirit also led her to co-found Lara Helene, an independent fashion label, giving her first-hand insight into the challenges and creativity involved in building a brand from the ground up.
Fluent in French and Danish, Lara has deep international experience, including substantial exposure to the Milan fashion market, and brings a global perspective to consumer engagement, product development, and cross-market growth strategies. She is also a respected public speaker, frequently invited to share her expertise on topics such as luxury retail innovation, digital strategy, and brand transformation.
Lara holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Pre-Med from Yale University, and an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she specialized in Retail, Luxury Goods, and Marketing. She remains closely connected to her alma mater through her involvement with the Yale Alumni for Humanity Campaign.
A passionate advocate for culture, education, and innovation, Lara’s leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration, strategic vision, and the power of brand storytelling. With a track record of building value, scaling businesses, and guiding complex organizations through transformation, Lara Meiland-Shaw is a compelling candidate for corporate boards and advisory positions across the consumer, tech, fashion, and beauty sectors.
Character: Lara Meiland-Shaw demonstrates integrity, dedication, and a deep commitment to both business excellence and cultural philanthropy.
Knowledge: She possesses extensive expertise in fashion, beauty, consumer markets, and operational leadership gained over 25 years of executive experience.
Strategic: Lara has a proven ability to scale brands, drive growth, and guide organizations through transformation with clear strategic vision.
Communication: As a multilingual public speaker and board leader, she effectively communicates across diverse stakeholders and global markets.
