Balmain Beauty, IFF, L’Oréal and Byredo Make Executive Changes
PARIS – A new year often heralds new executive structures, as Balmain Beauty, IFF, L’Oréal France and Byredo can attest.
Balmain Beauty has appointed Hans Dorsinville as its first senior vice president of creative. In the role, he reports to Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing.
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Dorsinville is known for his breakthrough work over the past 25-plus years championing diversity, inclusion and empowerment, which chimes with Rousteing’s ethos.
Most recently, Dorsinville was chief creative officer at Gotham, a fashion and beauty branding agency. He also worked at McCann Worldgroup advertising agency’s speciality division, dedicated to lifestyle, where he focused on Maybelline in emerging markets, including China.
Dorsinville also held chief creative officer roles at independent advertising, branding and content agency Select Worldwide, where he was responsible for the launch of Tracee Ellis Ross’ Pattern Beauty hair and skin care line.
Dorsinville was in 2002 a founding partner at Laird + Partners, where he served as the agency’s executive vice president and senior group creative director. His role there bridged beauty and fashion, and he worked on campaigns for companies such as Estée Lauder and Coty, and brands like Bottega Veneta, Ermenegildo Zegna and Tommy Hilfiger.
Dorsinville is the founder of the Creative Coalition for Diversity, an initiative that aims to diversify the creative class and increase the visibility of young people of color in their career development.
The executive helmed Lane Bryant’s “I’m No Angel” body-positivity campaign, which led to him being named one of AdWeek’s 18 Top Creative Leaders Whose Ads Are Breaking Through Into Culture and a spot on the publication’s Creative 100 to Watch list in 2017. Dorsinville cut his teeth at Donna Karan, where he worked his way up from junior designer to executive vice president at the designer’s in-house creative agency.
As previously reported, Balmain signed a longterm, global licensing agreement with the Estée Lauder Cos. in September. The first luxury beauty products to be produced under the license are expected to launch in fall 2024.
In the fragrance and flavors supplier realm, IFF said it has appointed Sabrya Meflah president of its fine fragrance business unit, based in France. The executive formerly served as vice president and regional general manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa, or EMEA. She succeeds Dionisio Ferenc in her new position, where Meflah oversees strategy and growth of the fine fragrance branch.
“With Sabrya spearheading the future of our fine fragrance business unit, I’m excited about the new ground we’ll break from a growth, innovation and differentiation standpoint,” said Frank Clyborn, IFF chief executive officer, in a statement.
The group said that over the past eight years, when Meflah was vice president, regional general manager for the EMEA zone, its revenues grew much faster than the market, “establishing IFF as an undisputed leader with fine fragrance global brands.”
In 2019, the executive established in Grasse, France, the Atelier du Parfumeur, which focused on the demands of the fine fragrance market, which is the fastest-growing segment of the prestige category. She also oversaw the IFF team’s expansion in the Middle East and Africa, where the group is a leader in terms of market share.
Christophe de Villeplée, IFF president of scent, said of Meflah: “Her strategic vision was essential in developing IFF’s leadership position in fine fragrance. Her experience, expertise, reputation, passion and leadership skills will be instrumental supporting fine fragrance growth, focusing on innovation, regional expansion and new segment opportunities.”
She joined IFF in 1995, as a marketing intern.
At L’Oréal France, the upper management has been reshuffled. Céline Brucker, who formerly headed the Consumer Products Division France, succeeded Hervé Navellou as managing director of L’Oréal France. Navellou, for his part, has become chairman of L’Oréal France.
“Over the past few years, Hervé Navellou has built a unified structure for France by modernizing its organization, accelerating digitalization and mobilizing energies around the L’Oréal for the Future program,” L’Oréal said in a statement, referring lastly to the group’s solidarity program.
Myriam Bekkar Schneider, director of L’Oréal Luxe France since 2020, has stepped into the managing director position left by Brucker. Bekkar Schneider, in turn, has been succeeded by Aglaé de Beauregard, who had been general manager of L’Oréal Luxe travel retail.
Another executive appointment was made in Europe, at Byredo. The beauty and lifestyle brand, recently acquired by Puig, has named Marie Laure Dubuisson Minnaert chief brand officer, succeeding Ann-Margret Kearney.
Between January 2016 and January 2023, Dubuisson Minnaer served as chief marketing officer of French accessories and fashion label Longchamp, according to her LinkedIn profile. From September 2013 to January 2016, she was vice president global marketing at Jimmy Choo, and head of global communications for Make Up For Ever, between June 2007 and September 2013.
Dubuisson Minnaer also worked at Parfums Christian Doir, Technicolor and Mercedes-Benz France.
