New direction for Estée Lauder Companies as two key brand management leaders retire

New direction for Estée Lauder Companies as two key brand management leaders retire

Estée Lauder Companies has announced the retirement of two key brand management leaders Dominique Nils Conseil and Peter Lichtenthal, with the move making way for a younger leadership team, according to a report by WWD.com. 

The heads, which look after brands such as Bumble & Bumble, Aveda, Bobbi Brown and La Mer, will be succeeded by employees who are hoped to drive the company’s important brands forward.

Barbara De Laere has been named as the successor to Conseil, who held the position of Global Brand President of Aveda. De Laere will be given the title Senior Vice President and Global General Manager of Aveda.            

Joining from L’Oréal, where she worked in numerous senior international roles in the Professional Products Division for 15 years, Laere has been with Estee Lauder for six months when she worked as Senior Vice President and General Manager of North America.

Speaking of Laere’s appointment, Global President Jane Hertzmark Hudis told WWD.com, “She is also a disrupter, a game-changer, a modern thinker and she is the ideal person to take Aveda into the next generation of its growth.”

Meanwhile Lichtenthal will retire in January, working for Hertzmark Hudis in the mean time. Lichtenthal, who has been with the company since 1989 where he worked on brands such as MAC, Smashbox and Bumble and Bumble, will be succeeded by Zach Rieken. Reiken will take on the role of Senior Vice President, Global General Manager Bumble and Bumble.

Sandra Main, who already acts as Global Brand President for La Mer, will take on responsibility for Bobbi Brown.

Fabrizio Freda, Estee Lauder President and Chief Executive Officer, said of the appointments, “The company’s thoughtful succession philosophy. We are focused on leveraging the diverse strengths, experiences and perspectives as our leaders to further grow our brands and our business. The success of our people is a cornerstone of our long-term strategy.”

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