Natalie Massenet

NATALIE MASSENET

Natalie Massenet is an Founder and chairman of Net-a-Porter. Natalie Massenet has a tight grip on this market, with the etailer she founded, Net-a-Porter, offering a superior online experience to its competitors with magazine-style content that keeps its loyal customers coming back for more and increasing their spend with each visit – the average transaction is now in excess of £600.

Massenet has plans to open up Net-a-Porter to more international markets and to launch a discount site called Outnet. The departure of Sven Gaede less than six months after he joined as chief executive means Massenet is firmly back in control of her etail venture, which picked up the Etailer of the Year gong at the Drapers Awards 2008.

“[A public listing] has always been there as a potential exit for shareholders but it is not something we are focusing on,” Massenet told Reuters.”We don’t need to raise money, we run off our own steam. Our shareholders are very happy. They are there for the long run.”

Net-a-Porter saw pre-tax profit for the past year increase by 300 per cent, Drapers Online reported in March, to more than £9 million.

“Pucci are doing a Balmain on us,” declared Natalie, “Take everything you knew about them and throw it away!” Thigh high boots are going to kick off in a big way and the Netaporter team are crazy about them, “think of them as like opaque tights with a heel.”