Ward Simmons

Ward H. Simmons is a seasoned global marketing executive with extensive experience in brand strategy and transformational leadership. Currently, he serves as the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, and Visual Merchandising at Baccarat, a position he held from 2017 until November 2022. In this role, Simmons was instrumental in reshaping Baccarat's marketing and public relations strategies to enhance brand perception and engage a younger audience. He successfully developed an omnichannel customer experience that generated $58 million in annual sales while managing a budget of $1.5 million and a team of nine.1

Before his tenure at Baccarat, Simmons was the VP of Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising, and Visual for the Americas at HUGO BOSS from 2007 to 2014. There, he led significant global ad campaigns that resulted in a 233% increase in net sales and initiated the launch of HUGO BOSS's first eCommerce site.1 His career began at Ralph Lauren, where he held the position of Director of Flagship Stores, overseeing substantial retail sales growth.1

Simmons holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a focus on Marketing and Public Relations from The University of Alabama. His contributions to the industry have been recognized with various awards, including the Outstanding Performance Award from Baccarat in 2018 and the Betsy Plank Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2021.1