Member Spotlight: Emilie Valencia
Meet Emilie Valencia, Senior Director of International and Travel Retail at Malin + Goetz in New York City, where she specializes in scaling premium beauty brands globally through distribution strategy, marketplace acceleration, and operational excellence. A member of CEW for more than eight years, Valencia brings deep expertise in international expansion and retail strategy, helping brands navigate complex global markets while strengthening their commercial footprint. Her work sits at the intersection of brand building and global growth, with a strong focus on translating premium positioning into scalable international success.
Career milestone: After years of experience in the beauty industry, Valencia recently launched her own consulting boutique focused on helping premium brands scale international growth across distribution, marketplaces, and travel retail. One of her most exciting current initiatives is Into the Seoul, a four-day immersive experience co-created with Inspiration Excursions that brings beauty and brand leaders into the center of K-beauty innovation. The program offers direct access to Korea’s beauty ecosystem, including the K-Beauty Expo, Olive Young, and Seongsu’s flagship retail district, designed to translate observation into actionable strategy ahead of Western market trends.
Key Advice: Never stay in your comfort zone is a principal Valencia credits as a constant driver throughout her career. She emphasizes that every meaningful opportunity she has pursued began on the other side of discomfort, and that growth in global roles often requires stepping into unfamiliar markets, challenges, and ways of thinking. Over time, she has learned that progress comes from consistently choosing expansion over familiarity, even when the path feels uncertain.
Mentors: Valencia highlights the importance of both visibility and guidance in shaping a career, noting that being effective at your job is not enough unless your impact is clearly communicated. Through CEW, she met her mentor Suzanne Pengelly, who played a pivotal role in helping her gain confidence, take on larger opportunities, and navigate new professional environments. This experience reinforced her belief in active mentorship and community, inspiring her to support others by opening doors, sharing insight, and creating space for emerging talent to grow.
Five-Year Career Goal: In five years, Valencia aims to grow her consulting firm into a recognized global partner for premium beauty brands scaling internationally, while also establishing a recurring program that gives industry leaders early access to the markets shaping the future of beauty.
Best Networking Convo Starter: Valencia prefers to open conversations with context rather than direct questions, often starting by referencing something in the room, such as the event atmosphere or a shared experience. She believes that offering a small personal insight first helps build warmth and encourages more authentic dialogue, which naturally leads to deeper conversations about industry trends, challenges, and unexpected learnings.
