Companies

New Generation: meet Joana Trigueiros from Maray

Jul 2, 2024 Portugal

With 18 years of experience in finance and marketing, Joana Trigueiros took over the shoe brand in 2019 when she realised its journey was coming to an end. Let’s find out more

With a degree in Economics from the Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Joana Trigueiros has 18 years of experience in multinational companies in the areas of finance and marketing. Five years ago, when she realised that the Maray brand was coming to an end, she decided to seize the opportunity and embark on a new adventure.

Was it a natural choice to work in the footwear industry?

I’d say it was written in the stars! I was born and raised in Torres Vedras in a family associated with shoes. There was nothing in my career that made me think I would return to the world of footwear, but the roots were there. I worked for many years for multinationals such as Unilever, KPMG and Danone, but an Instagram message changed everything!

How did Maray come about?

I was already a customer and fan of Maray when the founder of the brand posted a message on Instagram saying she was going to "put Maray to sleep”. I asked her if she was interested in selling it and... a month later, we signed the contract. Five years have passed, and I’ve had to learn a lot to grow the brand, with all the challenges that the economic climate has thrown at us, but... I’m a go-getter, and I’ve found the right opportunities to ensure the brand’s growth.

How does the brand stand out in the market?

Maray is an irreverent brand for dynamic women who do not compromise on elegance or comfort. It always offers them value propositions that make sense to them and, without compromising its positioning, it has surprised them with each collection. What’s more, the level of service we provide is excellent, whether we’re dealing with consumers or BTB customers. Our values are Maray’s values.

What have been the biggest challenges so far?

I would say that, apart from the great challenge of the successive crises, it has not been easy to adapt the production side to our needs, with the professionalism that we like to instil in everything we do. The internationalisation of the brand is now a path we want to take, but we still need to learn more about the international value chain

What advice would you give to a young person starting out in the industry?

I would say it’s important to have a lot of persistence and resilience. Nothing happens overnight, and you have to give yourself time to learn and consolidate. I feel that today’s young people are very eager to get there, but have little patience for the journey.

For more information about Maray, visit the brand's website.

Source and Image Credits: portugueseshoes.pt

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