Former Saks Fifth Avenue Executive to Lead Global Brand Marketing Expansion

Berns Communications Group (BCG), which specializes in marketing, strategy and PR, brand partnerships and facilitating access to capital in the retail sector, today announced that it has appointed Lori Rhodes as Global Director, effective April 9, 2021. Based in Dubai, Rhodes is a highly experienced retail marketing and communications executive who has created and executed brand development, content creation, customer engagement and partnership strategies in the US and Middle East for Saks Fifth Avenue, The Dubai Mall, Bloomingdale’s Middle East, Harvey Nichols Dubai, Tiffany, Cartier and other leading global brands.

“The pandemic-accelerated consumer shift toward e-commerce has prompted many brands in the US and elsewhere to seek new avenues of growth by expanding internationally”

“The pandemic-accelerated consumer shift toward e-commerce has prompted many brands in the US and elsewhere to seek new avenues of growth by expanding internationally,” said Stacy Berns, President of BCG. “As brands navigate a hyperconnected global community, it’s imperative that we offer our clients deeper international market knowledge. Lori’s expertise in brand development, digital content creation, and retail marketing and communications will be invaluable to us as we expand our international footprint. Lori will serve as our anchor in the Middle East to support our many clients based in Europe.”

BCG’s current client roster includes Alibaba, Chargeurs, eShopWorld, Klarna, Wefox and many US companies that are expanding globally.

“Retail is borderless today and the industry has repositioned itself for a post-COVID world that’s more digitally driven, customer-centric, and both globally and sustainably oriented,” said Lori Rhodes, Global Director of BCG. “It’s an exciting moment to help brands tell their stories to new audiences in new geographies and I’m thrilled to join Stacy and her team, whom I’ve known for years. Stacy’s ability to stay ahead of shifts in the retail industry has always impressed me, as has her focus on women-led businesses and her ability to facilitate access to capital. The breadth and depth of the BCG team’s media and industry relationships is a testament to their expertise.”

Rhodes has been based in Dubai since 2015. She most recently served as Principal, Head of Luxury and Retail, for Red Letter MENA/OneCMG, for which she created and executed marketing and brand activations for The Dubai Mall, The Galleria in Abu Dhabi and several emerging brands in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Previously, she headed up Retail Marketing for Al Tayer Group, leading the company’s department store, luxury, beauty, hospitality and lifestyle marketing teams. Prior to relocating to the Middle East, Rhodes served as Partner and Managing Director at Lividini & Co. in New York, where her clients included Hudson’s Bay Company, Tiffany, Godiva and Fossil. Earlier in her career, she was VP, Media Relations and Special Events, at Saks Fifth Avenue, where she created some of the store’s most memorable campaigns and partnerships. She began her retail public relations career at Cartier. Rhodes is co-founder of Anqa, a holistic wellness and beauty app currently under development. She holds a BA from Vassar College.

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