About the Founder
Founder of MINDING LUXURY
Dr. Caroline Grauel
Dr Caroline Grauel is a strategy consultant, researcher, and expert in consumer behaviour, branding, and luxury management.
She helps organisations better understand their customers and translate these insights into effective strategies for brand building, innovation, customer experience, and sustainable growth. Her work combines expertise in consumer behaviour research, behavioural economics, neuromarketing, and luxury management with extensive experience in strategy and transformation projects.
At the heart of her work lies a simple question: what drives people’s decisions, and how can organisations create brands, products, and experiences that resonate on a deeper level?
Dr Grauel completed her doctorate at the University of Bremen, where her research focused on sustainable consumer behaviour in the luxury sector. Her doctoral thesis examined the so-called “Green Gap” in luxury consumption and explored how sustainable luxury products can be designed and communicated to increase consumers’ purchase intentions. She graduated with distinction (magna cum laude).
She began her professional career with the TUI Group, where she worked on strategic projects across the Hotels & Resorts and Cruise divisions, first as part of a dual degree programme and later as Executive Assistant to the Board. During this time, she contributed to a range of international growth, investment, and transformation initiatives.
From 2022 to 2025, Dr Grauel was part of the Deloitte Neuroscience Institute, where she worked at the intersection of strategy consulting, consumer behaviour, and neuroscience-informed research. In this role, she supported organisations in translating a deeper understanding of customer behaviour into actionable business strategies, innovation initiatives, and customer experience programmes.
Today, she is the Founder of MINDING LUXURY, a boutique consultancy specialising in consumer behaviour, luxury strategy, and innovation. In addition, she serves as Senior Project Manager Strategy at the Fielmann Group and lectures at several universities, including Politecnico di Milano, Hamburg School of Business Administration (HSBA), and Hochschule Fresenius.
As a consultant, lecturer, and keynote speaker, Dr Grauel regularly speaks on topics including luxury consumer behaviour, branding, customer experience, artificial intelligence, innovation, and sustainable transformation. Her work is characterised by a unique combination of academic rigour and practical business relevance, helping organisations navigate evolving consumer expectations in an increasingly complex marketplace.