Nicola Lutgert, 39

As vice president of marketing for Naples-based Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Nicola Lutgert, better known as Nicky, leads a staff of 25 marketing professionals providing direct marketing and advertising initiatives for more than 1,100 sales associates in more than 40 offices in Florida and North Carolina.

She begins her development of marketing plans by collaborating with senior leadership at the firm. She's then able to set tasks and clear expectations for her marketing leadership team. Implementing an uncommon creative flair with a knack for numbers, Lutgert takes a statistical approach to research and interacts with the marketing directors of affiliates in the brand to share information, strategies and best practices. 

Since taking the helm as marketing director, Lutgert has also been busy on the acquisition side. The list she's helped oversee at Premier includes branches in Blowing Rock, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and several in Orlando. In the past year, she’s also overseen an expansion into Winter Park, marking the fifth office in Central Florida. And a second acquisition in southeast Naples expanded the firm’s footprint in one of the nation’s top luxury living destinations.

On behalf of her company, Lutgert also coordinates events and sponsorships benefiting organizations such as Golisano Children’s Hospital, Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, Guadalupe Center; Humane Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation, American Cancer Society, Sarasota Orchestra and more.

The secret to her success? It stems partially from the work-life balance she strives to maintain in all aspects of her life, which includes 5 a.m. workouts at the gym or running on one of Naples’ beaches.