Virginie Courtin-Clarins Named Deputy CEO of Groupe Clarins
PARIS — Virginie Courtin-Clarins, a granddaughter of Groupe Clarins founder Jacques Courtin-Clarins, has been appointed deputy chief executive officer and head of corporate social responsibility at the French beauty maker.
“In this new capacity, Virginie will expand and accelerate the brand’s ethical and sustainable commitments and practices, which includes a strategic plan to see Clarins become a certified B Corporation within the next three years,” Groupe Clarins said in a statement.
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“These initiatives will continue the legacy set out by her grandfather when he founded the Clarins brand in 1954, with respect for people and nature at the very cornerstone of the company’s ethos,” the statement continued.
Courtin-Clarins has held numerous roles within the company. Most recently, she has been focusing on developing the group’s CSR strategy, which involves caring for people and the planet.
“Today, it is simply not enough to look at reducing our impact,” the executive said in the statement. “We have to be ambitious and proactive in order to truly be able to pass a healthy and beautiful world on to future generations. Both as a family and a company, we are determined and inspired to progress, to do more and to enjoy doing so.”
Groupe Clarins has been carbon neutral since last year. The group plans to reduce further its carbon footprint by 30 percent and be wholly plastic-neutral, using only recyclable packaging, by 2025, among other goals.
Courtin-Clarins is also to oversee the cause partnerships started by her father, Christian Courtin-Clarins, such as links with organizations like FEED.
Virginie Courtin-Clarins has overseen the creation of collaborations and partnerships with other brands and retailers, and a range based on aromatherapy, going back to the roots of Group Clarins’ use of aromatic plants.
Formerly at the company, she oversaw the Thierry Mugler fashion brand and was named to Groupe Clarins’ board in 2015. That was the same year Jonathan Zrihen was appointed CEO of the company.
Groupe Clarins is now focusing on its eponymous skin-care brand, after having sold its Mugler fragrance and fashion brands and Azzaro perfumes to L’Oréal in late March 2020.
Groupe Clarins’ estimated beauty sales in 2019, according to the most recent WWD Beauty Inc Top 100 ranking, were 2.01 billion euros, up 14 percent versus 2018.
For more, see:
Clarins’ Newest Boutique Is Virtual, and 3-D
Clarins Launching Subscription Boxes
FEED, Clarins Partner for Fighting Hunger
Groupe Clarins’ CEO on Leadership During the Pandemic
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