The Female Gaze: Chantal Khoueiry, Chief Culture Officer At The Bicester Collection

You may know The Bicester Collection for their fabulous shopping villages – but the collection’s work stems far beyond luxury brands and excellent shopping.

In fact, Bicester leads an impressive charitable legacy – one that isn’t separated from their everyday operations, but is very much part of it. And at the helm is Chief Culture Officer, Chantal Khoueiry.

Last month, the winners of the Unlock Her Future Prize 2025 – South Asia Edition were announced. The prize, which forms part of the company’s philanthropic programme, DO GOOD, celebrates women entrepreneurs who are envisioning positive social and environmental change.

We spoke to Chantal about why this year’s winners stood out, the importance of championing female C-suite leadership in business, and what the next ten years are shaping up to be.

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What led you to become Chief Culture Officer at Bicester?

I joined The Bicester Collection because I believed in what it stood for. From the start, it was clear this was a business built on people, how we treat our teams, how we welcome guests, and how we show up in the communities around our Villages. I started in HR, but the work was always broader than a role or a title. As the business grew, so did the need to look after the culture, to protect what made us special, and to make sure our values didn’t get lost as we scaled. Becoming Chief Culture Officer wasn’t about a promotion; it was about taking responsibility for something that already mattered deeply to the business. Making sure growth, performance and purpose stay connected is what keeps me here.

Your career to date is storied, including stints at UNESCO and Polo Ralph Lauren. How did you get into this line of work?

My belief in business as a force for good didn’t come from one defining moment, it was shaped much earlier by my upbringing. Growing up between cultures, in a family where community, generosity and resilience were part of everyday life, I learned early on that you show up for others and use what you have to help where you can. When I entered the business world, that perspective naturally came with me. Over time, I saw how organisations, through their people, platforms and partnerships, can open doors that individuals alone often cannot. When purpose sits at the centre, business becomes a powerful connector and catalyst for change.

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Thamires Pontes (Phycolabs), Valentina Agudela (Salva Health), Chantal Khoueiry, Leydi Cruz (Agrimet), Annie Rosas (BlueKali), Kristal Del Valle (MindVerse)

What are your responsibilities as Chief Culture Officer at The Bicester Collection?

As Chief Culture Officer, my role is to make sure our mission, to make the lives of others better, is lived every day, in how we lead, how we work together, and how people experience being part of The Bicester Collection. I work closely with leaders across all our Villages to build a culture that brings our values to life, one that embraces a diversity of voices, and an entrepreneurial mindset that enables growth, and gives people a strong sense of purpose, and fun along the way. Internal communication is a key part of this, helping connect our people, share what matters, and keep our culture human and inclusive. Philanthropy sits at the heart of my role too. Through DO GOOD, we turn our values into action, creating meaningful impact for women, children and the communities we serve.

You spearheaded Bicester Village’s DO GOOD programme. What is this?

DO GOOD is The Bicester Collection’s philanthropic programme, but at its core, it’s a statement about who we are as a business and what we believe success should stand for. Built around three clear commitments, Charity Partnerships, Advocacy and Innovation, it brings all our Villages together around a shared purpose: supporting the futures of women and children, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. What matters to me is that DO GOOD is not charity on the side. It’s embedded in how we think, how we lead and how we use our platform at the intersection of retail and hospitality. We operate in a world of experiential retail; places where people come not just to shop, but to feel something. That gives us reach, influence and responsibility. When purpose is woven into that experience, it becomes a powerful force for change.

Why is it important for you to champion DO GOOD?

I champion DO GOOD because it shapes how we grow and what we stand for. It’s part of how we run the business, how we use our influence, and the legacy we want to leave. For me, it’s about building growth we can be proud of.

What do you look for in the charities and brands you work with?

We look for alignment, in values, integrity and intent. We partner with organisations that are deeply rooted in their communities, understand the challenges they are addressing, and are committed to long-term impact rather than short-term visibility. Each Village works with a local charity partner. At Bicester Village, we partner with Smart Works, supporting women back into employment through confidence-building and practical skills, and IntoUniversity, which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to access education and fulfil their potential. Across the Collection, we work with organisations that are closely connected to the realities of their local communities. Authenticity is essential. When partnerships are grounded in trust and shared purpose, they become far more powerful, and far more sustainable.

Tell us more about the Unlock Her Future Prize. What is the entry and selection process?

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LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 19: (L to R) Chantal Khoueiry, Desiree Bollier and Paroma Chatterjee attend The Bicester Collection’s Unlock Her Future Prize 2025 at Battersea Arts Centre on November 19, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Sam Simpson/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Bicester Collection)

Unlock Her Future was created to address a clear gap: while women have the ideas and ambition to drive change, they are vastly underfunded and under-recognised globally. With each edition we travel to a new region. The Prize is open to women social entrepreneurs of any age from the region, with idea-stage or early-stage ventures in any sector, as long as their work aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Applications are first validated by our impact partner, Ashoka, before being reviewed by a Selection Committee of CEOs, investors and global experts. Semi-finalists pitch virtually, before finalists are identified to pitch live in front of a panel of distinguished women leaders, again from the region. We look for women founders who understand the realities of their communities, who bring strong, scalable solutions, and who see entrepreneurship as a way to drive real, systemic change.

Women’s entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation and sustainability are at the core of the Prize. Why were these values selected?

Because they reflect both the challenges we see globally and the solutions women are already leading. Women often build from lived experience, addressing gaps in health, climate, education and economic inclusion with empathy and resilience. When women lead with purpose, innovation becomes inclusive and sustainability becomes embedded.

What made the Unlock Her Future Prize 2025 winners stand out?

What truly set the 2025 winners apart was the strength of their stories and the grit behind their ideas. Their work is deeply rooted in lived experience, challenges they have faced themselves or witnessed up close, and that gives their purpose real weight. Across South Asia, they are tackling urgent issues, from women’s health and financial inclusion to climate-smart innovation, not from theory, but from necessity. What moved us most was their leadership. These women lead with courage, resilience and an unshakeable commitment to their communities. Many have built their ventures against the odds, often without support or visibility. They embody exactly why the Unlock Her Future Prize exists – because talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.

Tell us about a memorable moment you’ve had since working here?

It’s genuinely hard to choose one moment, because there have been many. Every Village opening has been special in its own way, seeing teams come together, watching a place come to life, and feeling the pride of what’s been built collectively. But what stays with me most are the moments where impact becomes visible. Seeing DO GOOD move from an idea to action to impact, and watching women social entrepreneurs grow, in confidence, in clarity, and in belief, reminds me why this work matters. Those moments, when you see people realise what’s possible, are the ones that stay with you.

How do you envision the Unlock Her Future Prize in the next ten years?

I see the Unlock Her Future Prize growing into a global ecosystem, not just a prize, but a long-term platform that supports women to build, scale and lead across borders and generations.

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LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 19: (L to R) Nida Yousaf Sheikh, Amritha Krishnamoorthy, Sophiya Tamang, Jhillika Trisal, Nishat Anjum Palka and Tangchen Dolkar Dorji attend The Bicester Collection’s Unlock Her Future Prize 2025 at Battersea Arts Centre on November 19, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Sam Simpson/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Bicester Collection)

And what are your future goals more broadly?

More broadly, I want our work to contribute to systemic change – shaping how business shows up in the world and the legacy it leaves behind. If we can help shift mindsets, influence decisions and embed responsibility into growth, that’s the kind of impact that lasts.

For you, what is the importance of female C-suite leadership?

For me, female C-suite leadership matters because it fundamentally changes how organisations think and act. When women are in leadership, decision-making becomes more inclusive, collaborative and reflective of the diverse world we serve, and research shows that leadership teams with gender diversity tend to be more innovative, better at problem-solving, and more effective at driving outcomes. Beyond performance, women in the C-suite send a powerful signal. They expand what’s possible for others, creating real visible pathways for the next generation. This isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s essential to build organisations that are resilient, forward-thinking and equipped to lead in a changing world.

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How do you maintain a work-life balance?

I stay anchored to my “why.” Purpose is what keeps me steady when things feel intense. I stay close to the people and communities we serve; that keeps everything in perspective. I’ve also learned to be honest with myself about energy, not just time. This work matters deeply to me, but meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience, resilience and knowing when to pause as much as when to push.

How can we support what you do?

By staying engaged and informed. Follow @dogood_thebicestercollection to learn more about the women, communities and change makers we support, and to see how purpose comes to life across our Villages. Champion the women behind the ideas, amplify stories that deserve to be seen, and use your own platform, whatever its size, responsibly. Real change happens when we move together and choose to be part of something bigger than ourselves.