What Museums and the Art World Can Learn from Interbrand's New Next Gen Board

During Vastari's panel on patronage in August 2020, Royal Academy Trustee Lady Alison Myners described a need to connect with younger generations. By setting up a younger, shadow board in 2015 that met regularly with the senior team, Gucci doubled their turnover in just 4 years. Last year, international brand consultancy Interbrand also set up a Next Gen Board. What can the museum and art world learn from this experience? In this panel, discover a step by step guide to the motivations and methodologies behind this trend.

Rebecca Robins, Global Chief Learning and Culture Officer, Interbrand

Rebecca heads up the Interbrand Academy and is Global Luxury Sector lead. A prolific writer, she is co-author of the book Meta-luxury: Brands and the Culture of Excellence, with op-eds for The Guardian, Luxury Society and Quartz. She has worked with clients from AstraZeneca and LEGO, to Burberry and LVMH. A speaker at NYSE, The New York Times Luxury Summit and The Economic Times of India Flow Festival, Rebecca is also a keen lecturer on a number of University programmes. She was recognised in the inaugural Women of the Future, Kindness & Leadership awards. Rebecca is on the board of the EY Foundation supporting social mobility and access to education, and established Interbrand’s first next generation board.

Geoff Miller, Interbrand, Horizon Board member

Based in New York, Geoff is a Director on Interbrand’s Client Services team, and has served with Meike (and the eight other members) on the Horizon Board since March of 2020. In his role, Geoff helps challenge clients to differently about their customers, their brands, and their businesses. Geoff is passionate about analyzing the increasingly intersecting worlds of the arts, gaming, and sports, and exploring how these sectors can reshape our world by addressing our fundamental desire to belong.

Meike Papenfuss, Interbrand, Horizon Board member

Based in Cologne, Interbrand Cologne in 2019 as a junior brand strategy consultant and became part of Interbrand’s first Horizon Board with Geoff (and the eight other members) after six months of being with the global brand consultancy. She holds a master degree in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Antwerp Management School in Belgium and a Bachelor degree in Design Management from Macromedia University in Cologne. Through her international studies, she has lived in Australia, Thailand, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Meike is passionate about the entrepreneurship scene and is founding a furniture & interior brand.