Symrise Division Scent & Care Reorganizes Innovation Management

08/04/08 The Scent & Care Division of fragrances and flavors manufacturer Symrise is systematically gearing up its organization towards innovation management . Effective April 1 Michael Kocher takes over the newly created position of Senior Vice President Innovation Scent & Care. The objective of the new position is to integrate the previously independently handled functions research, marketing and consumer/market research and to consequently orientate them towards innovation.

Michael Kocher comes to Symrise from the competitor Firmenich, having previously worked for the Max-Planck-Institut and consumer goods manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser. With his solid scientific background and his experience in senior management positions in the industry, he brings the ideal qualifications for heading innovation management in Scent & Care. Reporting to Kocher in future will be fragrance and cosmetics research (fragrances, cosmetic ingredients and encapsulation), global marketing (beauty care, homecare) and the consumer & market intelligence group.

Massimo Cealti is another new accession. Having worked for leading companies such as McDonald´s, Nestlé and Coca Cola, Cealti possesses over 20 years of experience in market research, consumer insight and sensory and will be assuming the position of Vice President Consumer & Market Intelligence effective May 1, 2008.

Along with innovation management, creativity plays a strategically vital role at Symrise. The position of Senior Vice President Fragrance Development has been created to ensure optimal use of the company’s creative potentials and skills, to establish global standards for fragrance development and to promote an inspiring “fragrance culture” throughout the organization. Béatrice Favre-Bulle, previously head of evaluation Personal Care EAME for Symrise, took over this function effective April 1.

For Symrise, innovation also means examining new business models and identifying potential acquisitions and partnerships. Roberto Ascoli, previously head of Sales in France and Director of the Beauty Care Creative Center in Paris, is taking the newly created position of Senior Vice President New Business Development in the Scent & Care division. Marie-Lise Jonak takes over responsibility for the creative center in Paris from Ascoli.

“We have embarked on a mission to drive Creativity and Innovation as the single most important thing we do every day. This new organization is the consequent next milestone on our declared course of becoming the innovation leader of our industry”, stated Achim Daub, Global President Scent & Care, in summarizing the new features of the organization. “On the one hand, we are especially proud that once again we have succeeded in attracting renowned professionals from the industry to Symrise, while on the other, we are happy that we have been able to promote talents from within our own ranks into strategically significant positions.”