“At a time when so much of the news feels heavy, it’s energizing to come to a city with such vibrant energy and talk about something positive,” Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier’s chair of culture and philanthropy, tells me from the 35th floor of the Dusit Thani hotel in Bangkok, with the sprawling city skyline behind him.

The next evening, on Wednesday, around 700 guests gathered at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University for a ceremony where Cartier honored 30 female impact entrepreneurs with a total of $1.9 million in grants. The program is open to “women-run and women-owned businesses from any country and sector that aim to have a strong and sustainable social or environmental impact,” according to the initiative. Since 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative has provided $16 million in financial support (including this year’s $1.9 million) to 360 entrepreneurs from 67 countries. Amal Clooney took the stage to present the top awards and deliver a speech.

Amal Clooney, Cyrille Vigneron, Yanina Novitskaya, Kiyo Taga-Witkin, and the 2026 awardees on stage at the Cartier Women’s Initiative ceremony in Bangkok.
Photo: Courtesy of Cartier

“Amid global uncertainty and the reallocation of government resources, corporate philanthropy plays an important role,” Vigneron says. “The house has been doing quite well over the past 10 years and therefore has no reason to reduce its [philanthropic] activities.”

Vigneron was CEO of Cartier from 2016 to 2024, during which the brand’s sales more than doubled to €10.5 billion, according to Morgan Stanley estimates. In September 2024, Vigneron handed over the role to Louis Ferla and became Cartier’s chair of culture and philanthropy. He is also president of the board of Cartier Philanthropy for People and Nature, a foundation that has invested CHF 170 million ($212 million) in NGO grants since its launch in 2012, as well as vice president of Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. (He also chairs the Watches & Wonders Geneva Foundation and co-chairs the Watch and Jewelry 2030 initiative, launched in 2021 by Cartier and Kering.)

Cartier has defied the odds of the luxury downturn. Parent company Richemont’s jewelry maisons, which also include Van Cleef & Arpels and Buccellati, reported a 14% increase in sales for fiscal 2026. According to Morgan Stanley estimates, Cartier generated €11.23 billion.

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Cartier’s Women’s Initiative launched in 2006 under then-CEO Bernard Fornas, as part of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, a conference in France focused on women’s economic participation and leadership. Under Vigneron, the initiative was restructured as a standalone program, increasing the number of regional awards from six in 2018 to nine in 2023, along with a new science and technology pioneer award. The prize amounts also increased: for each category, the Cartier Women’s Initiative grants $100,000 to first-place winners, $60,000 to second-place, and $30,000 to third-place. (Previously, there was only a first-place prize of $20,000.) Winners also benefit from a one-year fellowship program and access to the Cartier Women’s Initiative community.

This year’s winners include Angela Ursem, founder of Food for Skin, a Dutch plant-based skincare brand with a low-impact production chain; Keely Cat-Wells, founder of Making Space, a talent acquisition and learning platform that helps companies train, hire, and retain disabled professionals; and Monika Shukla, who founded Humble Bee to help rural women in India earn more through beekeeping while restoring biodiversity. Past winners include Halla Tómasdóttir, who later became President of Iceland, and Kresse Wesling, founder of Elvis & Kresse, an accessories brand made from reclaimed materials that donates half of its profits to charity. (Elvis & Kresse partnered with Burberry in 2017.)

“Women’s eEmpowerment has been a core part of our company culture for many years,” says Kiyo Taga-Witkin, director of the Cartier Women’s Initiative. “Seventy percent of our employees are women, and 60% hold management roles.” She adds that a “pioneering spirit” has always been central to Cartier’s identity. A woman named Jeanne Toussaint led Cartier’s creative direction for 37 years, while the third generation of the family—Louis, Pierre, and Jacques Cartier—expanded the brand to three cities: Paris, New York, and London in the early 1900s. “In the world of entrepreneurship, women are still very underrepresented, so we feel a real responsibility to help change that,” Taga-Witkin explains.

Cyrille Vigneron, Amal Clooney, and Ramla Ali take part in the Cartier Dialogues the night before the Cartier Women’s Initiative ceremony.
Photo: Courtesy of Cartier

Why Bangkok? “First, Bangkok is a thriving hub for entrepreneurship. Second, Cartier’s team in Thailand partnered with Chulalongkorn University last year on a program focused on female entrepreneurship. About 50 candidates went through intensive leadership and management coaching hosted by the university. There are local efforts to strengthen the entrepreneurial community, and we felt Thailand was the perfect place to host the 20th anniversary. I also think the city and country’s focus on innovation and reinvention makes it very appealing to us,” Taga-Witkin explains.

Bangkok has transformed itself in recent years with a wave of new luxury retail and hospitality projects, from the opening of Capella Bangkok in 2020 (which earned the title of World’s Best Hotel in 2024) to high-end hospitality group Aman’s upcoming development in 2025. According to Euromonitor International, Thailand’s personal luxury goods market is expected to grow from 91.4 billion Thai baht ($2.77 billion) in 2025 to 117.1 billion baht ($3.55 billion) in 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.4%.

Will the ceremony have an impact on the market? “I believe so—in Thailand, Southeast Asia, and across Asia. The 20th anniversary is a big draw for our community. So this is a truly special evening we’re celebrating,” Taga-Witkin says.

At a time when the relationship between customers and brands goes beyond just buying and selling, the program also helps communicate Cartier’s core values in a subtle and meaningful way. The brand invited clients interested in women’s empowerment to attend the ceremony and see its work firsthand.

The next edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative will take place in Amsterdam in 2027. “This program will continue,” Cartier’s chief marketing officer Arnaud Carrez told guests at a cocktail reception the night before the ceremony. “At Cartier, we value continuity and consistency, so we will keep strengthening it.”

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the Inside the Cartier Womens Initiative in Bangkok covering practical details benefits and insider tips

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 What exactly is the Cartier Womens Initiative
Its a global annual business competition for women entrepreneurs It provides funding coaching and networking opportunities to help womenled businesses grow The event in Bangkok was a regional or special gathering of this initiative

2 Who can attend the Bangkok event
Typically its by invitation Attendees include the finalists and winners of the initiative alumni mentors partners media and select guests from the business and social impact community Its not a public ticketed event

3 What happens at the Bangkok gathering
Its a multiday program featuring workshops panel discussions mentoring sessions and a gala dinner The main highlight is often the announcement or celebration of regional winners

4 Is the event only for women
The initiative is for women entrepreneurs but the events are inclusive Men attend as mentors partners journalists and supporters

5 Do I have to be a finalist to benefit from this event
Not necessarily If you are an invited guest you gain immense value from networking with highimpact entrepreneurs and investors However the core program is designed for the finalists

Advanced Insider Questions

6 What is the selection criteria for finalists presented in Bangkok
Judges look for businesses that are forprofit revenuegenerating and led by a woman who owns a significant stake They prioritize companies with a strong social or environmental impact alongside financial viability

7 What is the actual prize package beyond the cash grant
The cash grant ranges from 30000 to 100000 But the real value is the oneonone executive coaching the media visibility and access to the global alumni network Many say the coaching is worth more than the money

8 How competitive is it to get into the event as a finalist
Extremely Thousands apply globally each year Only 2124 finalists are selected across all regions The Bangkok regional event focuses on a subset of these finalists