Cheah recalled with a chuckle: “Years later, my boss in DFS told me that it was probably a good thing that I couldn’t talk much during the interview. I have a very strong point of view towards how things should be done.”
Since then, Cheah has racked up more than 30 years of experience within the LVMH group. In her 25 years at DFS, she oversaw different leadership aspects of the business from merchandising and retail operations to business development and management. She then moved to Bvlgari where she built the brand and led the growth and expansion of its South Asia market as its regional managing director and then president of Greater China. She was appointed to her current role as Sephora’s managing director of Southeast Asia, Oceania and India in April 2023.
FULL CIRCLE
Despite initially eyeing a finance career, Cheah, who had even worked as a part-time fragrance promoter at one point, had always loved the finer, aesthetic things in life. She said: “My first love was fashion and luxury and being the global merchandising director in DFS gave me a rounded exposure to retail.”
One of the hardest moments though was her Bvlgari posting in Shanghai from 2020 to late 2023. Strict COVID lockdown restrictions prevented her from flying back to be with her family.
She eventually decided to return home. Encouraged by LVMH Group’s leaders and motivated to have a new challenge in her career, she applied for a Singapore-based position in Sephora when it came up.
She said: “I’ve done travel retail, luxury fashion, watches and jewellery, I thought, why not round it up with beauty? I love Sephora’s fun and lively culture. The biggest joy since joining is testing products and discovering many cult brands out there.”
