The rewards that come from following your passion.
Operating a successful business can be a challenging yet rewarding task. Each day business leaders are faced with the task of knowing how to prioritise new ideas or implementing new business features into a product to align with consumer preferences. Claire Morris, Co- Founder and COO of Prezzee, is one savvy businesswoman who understands the importance of adapting products tailored to suit trends occurring within the current marketplace and who is well versed in the craft of juggling priorities.
“The business landscape is constantly changing and being within a high growth start-up has certainly tested my limits as to how much pressure I can withstand. No matter what challenges arise, I always stay true to my values.”
Surrounded by retail and business from a young age, Claire was inspired by her father who ran two successful advertising agencies, and which encouraged her to pursue a career as a designer and art director.
“My Dad inspired me to work in the industry – not just from the content of his work, but from his tireless work ethic. His passion for working with successful brands and making a difference is what inspired my chosen career path.”
Throughout her career, Claire has garnered impressive credentials having worked in design agencies across major brands including Qantas and Seafolly before joining Marie Claire as their Art Director for five years, where she continued to work with upscale brands including Camilla and Marc, Collette Dinnigan and Wayne Cooper.
After years of working within the design industry, Claire co-founded her own label, Apple&Bee which allowed her to spread her creative wings and design exclusive lines for some of New York’s most prestigious retailers including Neiman Marcus, John Lewis and Nordstrom.
Proceeding this venture, Claire decided to take her retail and brand history to new heights, by co-founding Prezzee, Australia’s largest marketplace for buying, sending, storing and redeeming e-Gifts cards from over 80 retailers across the nation. While Prezzee has challenged the amount of pressure Claire can endure, it has also cemented her true values and enabled her to contribute to the creation of a high growth rewards and benefits platform, a brand that Australian’s adore and are inspired by.
“Prezzee has tested my limits as to how much pressure I can withstand. It has also taught me a valuable lesson in sticking to my core values when undertaking the task that I am graced with,” Claire said.
“I love being part of building a brand and collaborating with our exceptional team, who are problem solvers. I am inspired by them every day. Every great Australian brand has a story and it’s the hard work and dedication behind the success of their brand that makes a great story.”
As Prezzee has continued to evolve and expand, Claire has been faced with understanding how the retail market and consumer preferences have altered the retail landscape and has strived to adhere to changes within the marketplace to retain their competitive edge and engage with customers.
“There are many compelling platforms today, therefore finding effective and simple ways of talking to your audience is key. We all want to engage with our customers in a meaningful and personalised way and this has always been a core focus of Prezzee.”
With successful credentials under her belt, the next phase of Claire’s business journey involves touching on the vision to disrupt the industry through pioneering new ways of gifting, rewards and payments.
“The growth of Prezzee over the last few years has been exponential and has enabled us to head into a future that will change the way we reward and gift.”
As an alumnus of Springboard Program for female entrepreneurs and in the current cohort of Heads over Heels, Claire is a proactive advocate for supporting female leaders in the industry. Claire believes in motivating fellow business women to achieve their personal and professional goals and find success through their passions and interests.
“Be brave! Big dreams have small beginnings and most importantly, never, never give up.”
For more information on Claire’s retail career and Prezzee visit www.prezzee.com.au. For more profiles like Claire’s, look out for the Australian Retailers Association’s Women in Retail Series at retail.org.au/womeninretail
