About Reinold Geiger
Reinold Geiger, Chairman and CEO of L’Occitane Group, has described the company’s origins as beginning in Provence, France, with the production of essential oils from local plants and flowers, later expanding into natural-ingredient cosmetics. He stated that formulating such products was more costly and difficult, and that the company attracted “purists and idealists” who wanted to improve the environment. Geiger said the company focuses on supporting women in need and people who are blind or visually impaired, particularly in underdeveloped countries, noting that “every minute in the underdeveloped countries you have one child who is losing his sight because he has no medication.”
Geiger has discussed his approach to turning around the company, saying that when faced with the choice of reducing costs or increasing sales, he decided to focus on growing revenue. He described the early years as “real hard suffering” before the business took off. Geiger also noted that while larger competitors may have many brands, few individual brands generate over a billion euros in sales, and L’Occitane is now developing three smaller brands. He attributed the company’s ability to compete with larger players to its entrepreneurial culture, where employees work autonomously, and said that for a smaller company, “presentation nützt sowieso nichts” (presentations are useless) and one must keep the process in mind.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Reinold Geiger's recent appearances.
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Transcript (2 segments)
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Host0:08
Since 1976, L'Occitane has been built on the values of authenticity, respect, and solidarity. The company supports programs for children, teens, and adults who are blind or visually impaired. The L'Occitane Foundation provides financial support for all seven of Helen Keller International's child sight program locations in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Ohio, and Texas, providing free vision screenings to over 5,000 children since 2010. Under CEO Reinold Geiger's leadership, L'Occitane introduced Braille labeling on its packaging in 1997 and prioritizes product accessibility. The foundation also runs the annual United to Save Sight campaign, donating 100% of fundraising product proceeds to blindness charities. The gift bags tonight are donated by L'Occitane and will be sold in stores and online with proceeds to Helen Keller International. L'Occitane also created beautiful centerpieces, bringing a piece of Provence to downtown Manhattan. The Helen Keller Visionary Award recognizes generosity and innovation advancing the mission. It's my great pleasure to introduce Reinold Geiger, CEO of L'Occitane and President of the Foundation, to accept the award.
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Reinold Geiger3:53
Good evening. It is a great pleasure to be here. I was told I have to prepare a speech, but actually Meredith would say everything, and I'm sure you all listen to her more than me. L'Occitane was created 35 years ago in France, in Provence, starting with essential oils from local plants sold at market, then gradually cosmetic products based on natural ingredients. At that time, no one cared if cosmetics were natural, so formulating these products was costly and difficult. We needed purists and idealists, and that attracted people who wanted to improve the world and help the environment. The company grew, and today we have over 1,700 stores worldwide. We created the foundation about six years ago to focus on two directions: helping women in need, especially in underdeveloped countries, and visually impaired people. In underdeveloped countries, every minute a child loses their sight due to lack of medication or education. We support organizations to prevent blindness, and Helen Keller International is a key player. We are proud to support them. I saw a small booklet with my picture and was surprised—I thought it would be one of Meredith. It says I'm a passionate skier and yogi. I grew up in the mountains and love skiing. I thought the best way to say thank you is you're... I can call pigs? That's what you learn in...
