The entrepreneur discusses beauty, business and motherhood.

As the founder of UAE-based beauty distributor Avanta and co-founder of luxury salon chain Privé7, Zhanneta Tkhakushinova understands beauty as something far deeper than aesthetics alone. Across her growing regional portfolio, she has worked to build a business shaped by trust, experience and emotional connection that brings together a community of women.

“I didn’t begin with the intention of simply building a ‘luxury business’, what I wanted was to create a space where beauty felt personal, thoughtful and uncompromising in quality - where the service, products, atmosphere and overall experience worked seamlessly together. Luxury became a natural result of maintaining those standards.” Tkhakushinova explains.

Today, Tkhakushinova is running multiple businesses in one of the region’s fastest-growing industries. Through Avanta, she has helped introduce premium global beauty brands into the GCC, while Privé7 has become synonymous with elevated service, thoughtful luxury and a deeply personalised approach to beauty and wellness.

That philosophy continues to shape every part of her business ecosystem today. At a time when the GCC beauty market is moving rapidly towards an estimated USD 60 billion valuation, Tkhakushinova has remained focused on quality, education and long-term relationships. “In the GCC, I have seen beauty evolve from logo-driven luxury to a more informed and values-led approach to luxury. Clients still love prestige brands, but they now ask for ingredient transparency, proof of performance, and cleaner, often more ethical formulas,” she explains.

It is this understanding of the regional consumer that has positioned Avanta as far more than a traditional distributor. The UAE-based company supports international beauty brands entering the Middle East through a fully integrated model spanning regulatory registration, logistics, education, retail development and strategic market activation. Its growing portfolio includes brands from France, Korea, Japan, Spain, Australia, and the United States, all carefully selected through Tkhakushinova’s discerning lens. “I look for intelligent ingredients, not simply trendy ones, stable actives and formulas that perform effectively within our climate. I want to see measurable results on real clients, stronger hair, calmer skin and longer lasting colour, rather than just a visually appealing campaign.”

Through her work, Tkhakushinova has developed a nuanced understanding of how often the Middle Eastern consumer is misunderstood globally, which she consistently addresses in her own companies. “Some global brands underestimate how sophisticated and selective the Middle East beauty consumer is,” She says. “They sometimes assume the region is only about glamour, heavy make-up, or luxury logos, while today’s client is also looking for performance, quality, expert advice, and products that suit the climate, lifestyle, and cultural expectations of the region.” This ability to bridge global innovation with regional understanding has become one of Avanta’s defining strengths.

Of course, there are challenges along the way. “One of the biggest is that, while the GCC may appear connected from the outside, each market has its own consumer behaviour, regulations, pace and business culture,” she shares.

Alongside distribution, her Abu Dhabi and Dubai Salons Privé7 continue to play an equally important role within her wider vision. “Building salons is not simply about opening a beautiful space, it is about creating an experience and a feeling that clients remember. Every detail matters: the welcome, the consultation, the atmosphere, the products, the team and ultimately the final result.” That emotional connection continues to influence everything she does. “To me, modern luxury today feels far more personal. It is about time, trust, comfort and the feeling truly taken care of,” she adds. Her understanding of luxury feels closely tied to care, consistency and human interaction rather than outward display.

As a leader, Tkhakushinova speaks with equal clarity about discipline, culture and emotional intelligence. Within beauty, where trends evolve rapidly, and client expectations continue to rise, consistency has become one of the qualities she values most highly. “Clients return not simply because of one positive service, but because they trust the quality and experience every single time, she explains” She also returns frequently to the importance of people. Across both salons and distribution, she sees relationships and education as central to long-term success. “I have learned that people are your most valuable brand asset. Products, interiors and marketing are important, but in beauty, the relationship between the expert and the client is everything.”

Outside of work, another role remains at the centre of her identity. “I am first and foremost a mother and a family-oriented person.” Motherhood, she explains, has shaped her approach to leadership as profoundly as business itself. “It has taught me patience, resilience, balance and the ability to give love and strength at the same time.”

Looking ahead, her ambitions continue to evolve alongside the region’s beauty landscape. Expansion remains part of the vision, though always with careful control and attention to experience. “Looking ahead, my goal is to build a complete beauty ecosystem, not simply a group of businesses.”