French beauty maker Clarins has appointed Virginie Courtin-Clarins, one of the granddaughters of Groupe Clarins’ founder Jacque Courtin-Clarins, as Deputy CEO and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for the company.
Known as one of France’s ‘it’ girls, the Clarins heiress has held numerous roles within the company's portfolio.
Prior to her promotion, she served as Marketing Director of Clarins’ Thierry Mugler, and later as General Manager, before the business was sold to L’Oréal, along with its Azzaro fragrances, in April 2020.
Her new responsibilities include a strategic plan to see Clarins become a Certified B corporation within the next three years and accelerate the brand’s ethical, and sustainable practices.
“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 company said in a statement.
“Today, it is simply not enough to look at reducing our impact,” added Courtin-Clarins.
“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.”
Since 2020, Clarins has been a carbon neutral business and has set out plans to reduce its carbon footprint by a further 30% by 2025.
The French group is also addressing beauty’s plastic problem by setting up new recycling programmes as it strives to become 100% plastic neutral, ensuring all containers and packaging are recyclable.
“The Clarins brand has upheld its founding values for the last 66 years, but we are now looking to the next phase of what those principles mean in today and tomorrow’s world," added the company's executive.
“It is our priority to continue offering our customers the best in green beauty innovation whilst mitigating any negative impacts on both people and the environment.”