Morin Oluwole, The Luxurious Tech Exec
Morin photographed in her Paris apartment. Image by Anne Lapina @annaraiz_
If you’re the sort of person to keep up with happenings in the luxury sector, Silicon Valley, or just women making things happen in the world, you’ve probably come across Morin Oluwole’s name or profile once or twice. Morin is everywhere. The New York Times profiled her last year and she was recently the guest speaker at Luxury Society’s Keynote in Geneva. A quick internet search of her name will produce evidence of her career success, but not much else about her as a woman. Like an onion that you have to peel through several layers to truly enjoy, Morin slowly shows you who she is, but you have to pay attention. If you get a chance to chat her up you’ll find that indeed, work and career are a big part of her life, but you'll also discover a woman who is honest about her upbringing and how it shaped her drive to succeed, one who fully embraces her femininity, is dedicated to maintaining a personal life and actually walks the walk when it comes to helping other women.
Uprooting myself to Paris was a very eye opening experience for many reasons, but one thing that has stayed with me from that time is a reverence for the women who opened up their contact lists and put me in touch with Parisians they thought I should meet. In addition to being grateful and inspired by the generosity of my friends, I also developed a respect for the women who actually took the call. It may sound silly but lots of people don’t share their contacts and even fewer reply to e-mails or calls when hit up. Morin did. After an e-introduction by a mutual friend, Morin shared her Paris tips and her cleaning lady. She invited me to parties and events, introduced me to anyone she thought could aid in my transition. “Female empowerment” is a term I usually despise because it’s been reduced to a hashtag, an instagram caption, a t-shirt slogan. Very few people actually actively engage in it. By the end of this interview you’ll see that her generosity toward me was just one of her many efforts to pay it forward and make “getting ahead” less difficult for other women.
Morin was born in Lagos, Nigeria where she lived with her parents and younger sister until her parents split in her early teens. She, her mother and sister moved to London for four years before settling in San Jose, California where she finished high school. The constant moving made her keenly aware of the world, highly adaptable and able to seamlessly maneuver between different cultures, a skill-set that is naturally honed when you find yourself living on your third continent by the age of eighteen. Morin enrolled at Stanford University as a Bill Gates Millenium Scholar with big plans to become a doctor, but changed course after an epiphany while driving home from a hospital internship. That moment’s realization lead her on a path from shy, young, pre-med student to the glamorous, Paris dwelling, French speaking, Head of Luxury for arguably the world’s most influential company, with clients that include Dior and Louis Vuitton. I sat down with her in her Haussmannian style apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris where she shared how her proximity to Silicon Valley and first entry-level job with a certain tech giant changed her career course and her life. She’s open about her early struggles, triumphs, dreams, virtues and vices.
Morin photographed in her Paris apartment. Images by Anne Lapina @annaraiz_
I have to start with a question that I know everyone is dying to ask when they see your title. What exactly does it mean to be the Global Head of Luxury at Facebook and Instagram?
It means that I lead the Global Luxury Division at Facebook. Our goal is to partner with luxury brands who are seeking to communicate on our platforms to reach luxury consumers. We accompany them on innovation and creativity, media and measurement strategies, data, and tech implementation. We make sure to support all that with solid business strategy.
You do it for Facebook and Instagram?
I do it for the entire eco-system. So our products are Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.
WhatsApp? How do you work with WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is in the very very early stages and the approach that is likely going to be adopted by brands is focused on customer service, using it as a tool to support the in store and online experience and drive customer loyalty.
What did you study at Stanford and are you doing what you thought you would be?
I loved my time at Stanford, they were really some of the best years of my life! I majored in Human Biology thinking I would become a doctor because as you know, coming from a traditional Nigerian family, you’re either a doctor, lawyer or engineer. Also my favorite aunt was a doctor and I wanted to be like her. But in my third year, I was interning at the emergency room at a local hospital doing 12-hour shifts twice a week from midnight to eight a.m. I was driving home one morning and I realized this was absolutely not what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t know what I wanted to do but this wasn’t it. This happened in my third year! I had done everything, all the courses and was on track to be a pre-med student and go to medical school etc.
How did you go from that terrifying moment to Facebook?
It wasn’t immediate. I talked to a lot of my professors and they advised me to complete my bachelor’s degree since I was so far along and to think about using a masters degree to change course. I ended up staying at Stanford and getting my masters in Sociology. I had just started the program when I heard about an opening at Facebook from a friend of mine who worked there. I needed a job and it was something I could do while I went to school. This was in 2006. Facebook was not even two-years old and they only had three teams: engineering, HR and operations. Operations literally were the people that kept the site running, helping people sign-up, reset their passwords etc. I got a role as User Operations Associate doing just that. Facebook was still a start-up but there was a lot of buzz and the general feeling that we were entering into another tech boom.
“Your psyche changes when you’re in a new environment. I can’t emphasize enough that you learn to think differently.”
Morin at her 16th arrondissement home. Image by @annaraiz_. Painting by @valerian_goalec
What came next?
I eventually moved to New York and enrolled in Columbia University where I got an MPH and MBA which is a combination of a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Public Health. I added the MBA because I wanted to build on my business acumen.
Why did you get the MPH and not just the MBA?
As a Bill Gates Scholar, which I was through my entire education, if you want to pursue a graduate degree it has to be in a few specific fields including the sciences, so the MPH was a way to satisfy that requirement while getting a business education.
Smart. Continue the career path leading to Paris. You didn’t go right back to Facebook after B-School?
I worked in management consulting for one year while at Columbia and decided that wasn’t for me either. After I finished the masters program, I went back to Facebook in California, where I continued to grow and held roles in product marketing and strategic partnerships. A real opportunity to be a business driver came up when a role as the chief of staff to Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s VP of global marketing solutions became available so I applied for it. Career-wise that role shaped me. I had to always be at the top of my game. I was in meetings with the highest levels of management internally and externally. I had no life but I loved every minute of it because I knew I was learning things I would use for the rest of my career. Two years later we were having conversations about what I wanted to learn next and develop and I explained that I wanted to nurture my love for luxury and fashion and tie it to what we were doing at Facebook. These were not light conversations, I had to make a business case, build a business plan and get the company’s buy-in. In terms of cities Paris was the most logical and rational choice as it’s the epicenter of luxury and where the key players make decisions. Once the company agreed to it, off I went to build a luxury team in the Paris office.
Sounds scary. You’re under a lot of pressure to get a new business off the ground, prove your worth and do it all in a foreign country where you don’t have the support of friends! What was the transition like?
It was very rough. I landed on a Thursday and went to work on Friday. The Paris office already had 35-40 people in it and I had to establish a presence and build a team. I had to recreate everything from scratch, my relationships, my habits, my way of thinking, my identity. The administrative processes in France are legendary, and I had to do all the basics we take for granted, getting an ID card, insurance, I had to open a bank account, get a social security number, a new phone. It was a lot. The language barrier really complicated things. Performing at your highest level in a second language is very hard. Everyone was so nice but it was difficult sitting at meetings with executives from the top luxury companies and not fully understand what’s being said. Besides simple translations, it’s important to understand colloquialisms, double speak, and the little things we each say in our own language and cultures that everyone understands but a foreigner wouldn’t. So I killed myself in the evenings and weekends to learn French. I took courses and did exercises at home. Imagine all of that with pressure to deliver on the goals we had set for the new division. It was so hard, but I did it.
Do you think the move has changed you?
I am simply not the person I was when I arrived. I came in naive about life. Your psyche changes when you’re in a new environment. I can’t emphasize enough that you learn to think differently. I’ve grown so much as a person from having to acclimate to a new culture and environment, from learning a new language. I’m better off for coming here because it expanded my mind, my taste and interests.
What personality traits have lead to your success?
PATIENCE. Some things simply can’t come over night. Also the French will sure teach you to have patience.
“I never minimized myself. Lots of people do this subconsciously. I never made myself less-than just because I didn’t look like the typical employee. “
You seem to project endless self-belief and confidence. When it comes to your career, do you ever suffer from self-doubt? If so how do you cope?
I definitely do from time to time and have in my past. I just keep pushing. Also you cannot worry about what people think of you. I grew up shy and had to build an armor so I could get passed it. Finally, having an end goal helps. A north star. Always keep it in mind and it will get you through the moments when you start questioning yourself. There are moments when you’re like ‘I messed up that meeting,’ ‘I didn’t deliver the right report,’ ‘I should’ve, I could’ve.’ But you have to recover quickly from missteps, keep your north star in mind and keep moving forward.
Can you talk a little about being a woman in such a male-dominated field. When people think of tech a certain image of young guys in hoodies pops up. Have you ever felt like the odd man out? Do you still feel it?
Without a doubt I am often “the only” or “one of.” But to be honest based on where I grew up and my science background it has been my experience almost my entire life to be one of a few women and definitely often the only black woman in my environment. So it’s not like I came to Facebook and discovered this world. That has simply been my experience almost my entire life and it is still today. Especially working in luxury, particularly in the French luxury industry, it’s dominated by French, white, males. You may find women in marketing roles. Definitely in my entire five years handling luxury at Facebook, I have had only one black person that worked at one of my clients. In terms of feeling like '“the odd man out”, it’s just one of those things where you have to figure out ‘who am I in this scenario and how do I navigate it?’ A couple of things I focused on was I never minimized myself. Lots of people do this subconsciously. I never made myself less-than just because I didn’t look like the typical employee. But I also didn’t make it the topic of every conversation either. You show them you are just as competent and can deliver like anyone else.
I also didn’t take it lying down either. On top of achieving professionally, I also made sure to influence the culture at Facebook. I was one of the founders of Black at Facebook and one of the founders of Women at Facebook. We wanted to make sure that people could have a community with which they could relate and opportunities for trainings and career growth. I know the position I am in but at the same time I have always made sure to have a hand at creating resources for myself and for others to grow.
Can you give some advice on getting into the tech world? Particularly for people who may find it intimidating if maybe they don’t have a S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) background?
I would say that no matter the industry you’re interested in, you should do your homework. Find out what the different roles that exist are (through companies’ websites, career websites, asking questions of people in those industries) and see which roles line up with your interests and strengths. With that said, the tech industry today is not just engineers. It is an eco-system that includes people of different skill sets. For example graphic design, it’s not an engineering role but they are very useful in building a new platform. So my advise would be to think in terms of skill set. What are you good at and then research companies that are trying to fill those roles.
What do you want next out of your career?
I have some big dreams, big goals. I’d eventually like to be the CEO of a luxury brand one day.
You've formed a nice circle and made a range of interesting friends in Paris. Lots of people struggle with this and probably don't take opportunities in new cities/countries for fear of loneliness. What advice can you give about making friends as an adult and in a new city/country?
For me quantity was not the objective. People really show you who they are and I just made sure to nurture the friendships with like-minded people. I was also more open to new experiences and had to put myself out there a bit, but without trying too hard.
You travel quite a bit for work and work long hours. How do you manage to still have a personal life?
I have had to set priorities and limits. Really practical things, for example I don’t take meetings after 7pm. Planning is super important. Set priorities and fit them in. For instance I have a work-out schedule so I block out time in my calendar. It’s not even about “finding balance,” it’s that you have to take control of your time. I have to be more productive at work to ensure that I can take the time I set for myself.
You’ve always done a great job of balancing career pressures and maintaining a romantic life. Advice on how to navigate dating while building your career?
Honestly, I think it’s silly not to! My advice? Don’t ignore signs and red flags. Also be honest with yourself about what you want. If you want to be in a relationship, make it a priority. If you find yourself spending all your time working and not creating enough time to enjoy, make some time. Create the space to date.
You know, I mentor some early stage women at Facebook and they were asking me some of these kinds of questions the other day including advice on dating and relationships where you may out-earn your partner or are more educated. My advice is to have the financial conversation early in the relationship and be super honest with yourself about your expectations. Also remember that a person may not be able to give you a lot of “things” but they could add to your life in a lot of other equally important ways. It’s really nice after a hectic day or week to have someone special, so don’t stop pursuing this if it is important to you.
When are you frugal?
Knowing the cost price of things in the luxury world, and the mark-ups, let’s just say it’s hard to pay retail!
When are you extravagant?
I am very proud of the home I built in Paris. I’ve spared no expense in making it comfortable and beautiful.
What are your virtues?
Patience. Although I tend to lose my patience with lazy people, people who are dishonest and expect things without working for it.
What are your vices?
They say its dehydrating to drink on a flight but I enjoy some red wine followed by a whiskey digestif. I also indulge on great skin care products. I LOVE a good, rich, face cream. My current favorite is Guerlain Orchidée Impériale.
A negative experience and how it shaped you?
Oh God, there’s so many of them. I don’t know how to say it but just generally putting my trust in the wrong people. It has made me more instinctive and I can more easily suss out people’s qualities and intentions.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
“You're going to get there eventually. Keep going. You're doing all this for a reason. Good things will come to you.” When you’re building your career, working so hard and making sacrifices, you sometimes wonder what it’s all for and and if the hard work and time will pay off. I wish I could tell myself it would all be worth it in the end. I would have worried less.
Something about yourself that would surprise people?
I don’t know if it would necessarily surprise people but based on what people see of my life it may be surprising that I really enjoy being alone.
A quote that exemplifies your outlook on life?
"Fake it until you make it." I like it because we are all learning in our lives and in our careers. You also sometimes may feel like you don't belong especially as a ‘one of’. It’s hard but you have to act as if.
You can find or follow Morin at:
Instagram: @morin
LinkedIn: Morin
