Emily Essner

President & Chief Commercial Officer Saks Global

Emily Essner is President & Chief Commercial Officer of Saks Global, the largest multi-brand luxury retailer in the world. In this role, she oversees all customer-facing functions for Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, including Brand Partnerships & Buying, Merchandise Planning, Marketing, Digital, Commercial Analytics and Customer Insights, and Store Experience, as well as Marketing, Commercial Analytics and Ecommerce for Bergdorf Goodman, leading the company’s data-driven strategy centered around the customer and helping to drive the growth of Saks Global’s luxury businesses.

Previously, Essner served as Chief Marketing Officer of Saks, where she drove an industry-leading personalization strategy and significant online customer growth while maximizing the Saks Fifth Avenue brand. She also previously held leadership roles across marketing and business operations at Saks Fifth Avenue, including Chief Marketing Officer, as well as corporate strategy positions at HBC. Prior to joining Saks Fifth Avenue, Essner was a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company.

In 2024, she was named to the Ad Age Tech Power List and was recognized as one of the Top Women in Retail by the Women in Retail Leadership Circle. In 2025, she was recognized in the WWD, Footwear News and Beauty Inc Women in Power list. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Spanish from Mount Holyoke College.