22 Mark Sebba

Working from offices above Westfield London’s Village area, Net-a-Porter’s chief executive gets an eagle-eyed view of what luxury shoppers are buying. Locating the offices of an online retailer in a shopping centre was a typically counter-intuitive move, but few would question Mark Sebba’s judgment as a veteran of the ecommerce world, having been chief executive of the high-fashion business since 2003.

Net-a-Porter has confounded many of the pre-conceptions about online retailing.

Eight years ago many in the fashion world would have said there was no way you could sell fashion online, let alone top-end products. Yet through its engaging site, packed with editorial to rival the best fashion magazines which is read by over 2.5 million women a month, and top-notch customer service and fulfilment, the business has emerged as the unrivalled leader in luxury fashion retail online.

While founder Natalie Massenet is better known, Sebba is the engine room of a business that has continued to innovate, and to prosper in a world where many pure-play businesses are finding life difficult. And it’s continued to innovate with the acclaimed launch of Mr Porter, curated by former Esquire editor Jeremy Langmead.