Meet the SANDA Team

Close-up of woman smiling, with dark hair, wearing a polka-dot top, framed by an orange border.
Close-up of woman smiling, with dark hair, wearing a polka-dot top, framed by an orange border.

Simrita S Dillon

Founder | LinkedIn

A global market strategist uniquely positioned at the intersection of global markets, e-commerce, and retail. With over 25 years of cross-border experience, Simrita served as India's first Luxury Goods Manager, establishing operations for menswear giants Ermenegildo Zegna and Hugo Boss, and managing the launch of Zegna's first Indian flagship store.

Combining her corporate pedigree with entrepreneurial discipline, she also co-founded the apparel brand GOLMAAL, navigating creative direction and retail operations from concept to commerce. This dual perspective built with launching an iconic luxury house and building a brand from scratch, makes the operational DNA of SANDA. Under her leadership, SANDA has represented over $100M in retail revenue and advised 36+ global brands, including Murad Skincare, Farmacy Beauty, and Kora Organics on strategic market entry.

An established industry voice featured in Vogue India and Harper's Bazaar, Simrita is an SDA Bocconi MBA alumna and a Fortune/US State Department mentee paired with Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. She serves on the Advisory Council of the Women's Education Project and is a member of the Vital Voices Global Leadership Network.

Close-up of a smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a delicate necklace with small beads, in black and white with a red border.
Close-up of a smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a delicate necklace with small beads, in black and white with a red border.

Noriko Kumagaya Dhillon

Head of Brand Sourcing, Japan | LinkedIn

Noriko Kumagaya Dhillon is a retail industry leader uniquely positioned at the intersection of global fashion, cross-cultural commerce, and market expansion. Having lived and worked in Japan, Canada, the US, and India, she brings a profound multicultural lens to commercial negotiations, understanding exactly how international brands must adapt to win in new regions.

Her operational foundation was built over 13 years at ZARA (Inditex Group). As Commercial Director for ZARA India, Noriko led the launch of the brand's flagship operations in the country. Managing complex buying collaborations with the Spanish headquarters, she was ultimately instrumental in opening 44 stores across Japan, Korea, China, and India.

At SANDA Brands, Noriko leverages this cross-border expertise as the Head of Brand Sourcing for Japan. Operating as an expert in Indo-Japanese business relations, she identifies, evaluates, and commercially onboards international beauty and lifestyle brands for leading retailers across India and North America, managing the entire commercial lifecycle to ensure brands are genuinely retail-ready.

The SANDA Collective

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Barbara Kern

Partner (LATAM)

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Simone Pederson

Partner (Australia)

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Robert Holdheim

Advisor

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Solange Spetseri 

Partner (LATAM)

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Marie-Clothilde
Brulé

Partner (EMEA & Asia)

BRIEF OUR PARTNERS

We partner selectively with brands navigating cross-border expansion, and with retail platforms sourcing international portfolios. Outline your market objectives or sourcing requirements below to initiate a conversation directly with our leadership team.