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Kirsty Mhinga

@kirstymhinga

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Luxury marketing leader driving 360° growth through brand positioning and ROI.

South Africa

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead luxury brand growth through high-impact 360° campaigns—omni-channel, culturally relevant, and measurable—where I can align marketing, distributors, and launch execution to deliver strong ROI and brand equity.

I’m a results-driven luxury beauty marketing leader with 9+ years of experience building cultural relevance and market leadership across global prestige brands, including Giorgio Armani, Maison Margiela, Valentino, and Tom Ford. I translate global brand strategy into locally resonant activations that strengthen desirability, awareness, and commercial growth.

Since 2025, I’ve led national and international brand and marketing strategy as Brand & Marketing Executive at Healing Earth, driving expansion across South Africa, Italy, and select Indian Ocean Islands. I ensure coherent brand DNA across markets, align marketing with sales and product launches, and build strategic partnerships with luxury hospitality and wellness destinations while supporting distributor-led training and brand education.

Previously, as Marketing Manager at L’Oréal Luxe South Africa (2021–2024), I delivered disruptive 360° campaigns across digital, retail, experiential, and influencer channels and launched Armani Beauty and Maison Margiela fragrances into South Africa. Before that, as Product Marketing Manager at Estée Lauder Companies Sub-Saharan Africa (2017–2021), I managed integrated luxury fragrance and beauty strategies, led digital/influencer/experiential campaigns, and optimized performance through budgets, agency partnerships, and data-driven analysis.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Brand & Marketing Executive

Current

Healing Earth

Jan 2025 - Present (1 year 5 months)

Lead national and international 360° brand and marketing strategy for a luxury brand and luxury wellness portfolio, supporting expansion across South Africa and Italy. Drive omni-channel executions and strategic partnerships with luxury safari lodges and wellness destinations to strengthen consumer engagement.

Go To Market Strategy Omni Channel Marketing Strategic Partnerships Retail & Experiential Marketing

Marketing Manager

L’Oréal Luxe South Africa

Jan 2021 - Jan 2024 (3 years)

Led marketing strategy and execution for Giorgio Armani, Maison Margiela, and Valentino fragrance portfolios, delivering disruptive high-impact 360° campaigns across digital, retail, experiential, and influencer channels. Launched fragrances into the South African market and managed influencer/creator ecosystems to improve share of voice, consumer engagement, and brand equity.

Integrated Marketing Campaigns Brand Equity Market Expansion Omni Channel Marketing Retail Marketing Experiential Marketing Digital Marketing Strategy Budget Management Performance Analysis

Product Marketing Manager

Estée Lauder Companies Sub-Saharan Africa

Jan 2017 - Jan 2021 (4 years)

Developed and executed integrated marketing strategies aligned to global brand positioning for luxury fragrance and beauty brands including Clinique, Tom Ford, and By Kilian. Owned digital, influencer, and experiential campaigns, delivering high-impact product launches and retail activations while partnering with global teams to localize strategies across African markets.

Product Marketing Integrated Marketing Strategy Digital Marketing Influencer Marketing Brand Activation Budget Management Localization Strategy