Symrise Establishes Perfumers’ Academy 

09/10/07 Symrise has established its “Perfumers’ Academy”, a novel training and continuing education concept for perfumers. Only six months have passed since this global fragrance and flavorings manufacturer re-launched its in-house perfumer training program, and now the company is taking another significant step to nurture its most important talent: its perfumers.

The “Symrise Perfumers’ Academy” is aimed at all perfumers employed at Symrise, from the next generation of talent to its experienced “noses.” The objective is to both enhance the core competencies and skills required by the profession as well as provide excitement and foster the perfumers’ spirit of discovery, curiosity and creativity.

A key feature of the “Perfumers’ Academy” is that it does more than strengthen the technical capabilities of perfumers – it also equips participants with an understanding of how fragrance preferences, trends and markets vary from one culture to the next. For the first time perfumers will participate to specific classes and coursework on topics such as communication and presentation skills, business management and chemistry updates.

Three distinct program levels guarantee that each perfumer will enjoy the best possible training:

The “Symrise Perfumery School” is directed at the next generation of perfumers, providing them with the fundamental tools of the trade for a successful start to their careers as perfumers.

Established perfumers will benefit from cross-regional assignments and individualized support from mentors. Other activities to enhance their skills and competencies are planned at a regional level, including disciplines such as communication and presentation as well as finance to keep pace with ever more demanding customers.

The highest level of the concept includes exchange programs with leading firms in the international perfumes industry, as well as what are referred to as “fragrance expeditions.” These trips to countries of olfactory, cultural and business interest offer senior perfumers more than just the chance to expand their creative and technical knowledge – excursions to the agricultural areas, markets, gardens and production sites typical of a given region also provide a variety of sources of inspiration. Contact with local customers and insights into consumer attitudes and trends within the respective markets round off the comprehensive programme.

Achim Daub, head of Scent & Care, describes what it is that makes this training concept so unique: “Perfumers are the creative heart and soul of our Scent & Care Division. We feel it is absolutely essential that we nurture their talents to the best of our ability. By establishing the ‘Symrise Perfumers’ Academy’, we hope to inspire our creative people; we want to give them as much freedom as possible to learn, travel and experiment so that they can, in turn, create innovative, imaginative fragrances again and again. It’s hard to imagine a better project to make our ‘always inspiring more...’ strategy a reality. And last but not least, the Academy is also an example of how Symrise lives up to its corporate responsibility: high-quality continuing education is one of our most important management goals; plus, the ‘Perfumers’ Academy’ instills participants with respect for nature, for the environment, and for the olfactory cultures of different countries.”