L'Occitane International names André Hoffmann as new CEO

By

Sarah Ahssen

Published
Sep 16, 2021

There's been a change in leadership at L'Occitane International. André Hoffmann has been appointed as the CEO of the beauty group, which owns the L'Occitane en Provence, Melvita and Elemis brands. He succeeds Reinold Geiger, owner of the Hong Kong-listed group, which he has led for 25 years. From now on, Geiger will concentrate on his roles as chairman of the company's board and executive director. 

74-year-old Geiger is, however, entrusting the role of CEO to a familiar face, as Hoffmann has worked at his side for the last quarter-century, notably serving as executive director and vice chairman of the board, two roles that he will continue to hold following his new appointment. 

"Today's announcement is the natural evolution of the company’s needs as it transforms from a mono-brand company with a multi-local presence to a true multinational, multi-brand group," explained Geiger in a release. "It is a key step to strengthen our governance structure and position ourselves for a sustainable future rooted in our new mission to empower entrepreneurs and communities to cultivate natural beauty and well-being and to regenerate nature."

Hoffmann, who joined L'Occitane in 1995, will mainly be responsible for the group's strategic planning, as it seeks to promote innovation and create new large-scale businesses, all while continuing to build the individual identities of each of the company's brands. 

In the fiscal year running 2020 to 2021, the L'Occitane group's sales declined 6.5% to 1.53 billion euros, reflecting the negative impact of the Covid-19 crisis. The company's operating income for the period was 220.2 million euros, up 17.6% year over year.