At just 40 years of age, Ségolène Moyrand-Gros takes over the presidency of the Gattefossé family group. Representing the 5th generation, she succeeds her father Jacques Moyrand, who presided over Gattefossé for 25 years and made a major contribution to the company's development, giving it the international dimension it enjoys today.
A new page in the group's 140-year history is about to open. On May 18, 2021, the Board of Directors ratified the decision taken by father and daughter. A decision long in the making.
"After many years as President of Gattefossé, the time has come for me to take a step back. And it is with great confidence and optimism that I hand over the family torch to Ségolène, whose qualities I am well aware of. She now has the necessary skills to take charge of a mission of this scale, and she will be able to draw on the support of our management team. Her complementarity with General Manager Eduardo de Purgly makes for a solid and proven tandem. A new page opens for Gattefossé, under the sign of youth and femininity".says Jacques Moyrand, a group director who has always been close to the company.
Solid experience
With a Master's degree from ESCE International Business School, and a specialization in industrial marketing from IAE Lille, Ségolène joined the family business in 2006, after several internships in major companies. She rounded off her career with an Executive MBA at EM Lyon, which enabled her to join the Group's Board of Directors in 2013. Starting her career in international marketing, then as Group Communications Manager, she acquired in-depth knowledge of the company, its products, customers and teams. In 2019, she joins the Management Board and takes responsibility for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) for the entire Group.
Following in her father's footsteps, but also in those of her great-grandmother Blanche Gattefossé, president of the company for 20 years, Ségolène Moyrand-Gros aims to leave her mark on the history of Gattefossé, while continuing the momentum already underway: "It is with great pride, determination and enthusiasm that I take up this position. I want to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors, whose talent and personality have made the company what it is today. Gattefossé has potential, and we're giving ourselves the means to forge a brilliant future. It's also a human adventure, as underlined by our tagline "People Make Our Name", which characterizes our company. Gattefossé's prospects are promising, and I look forward to our sustainable and responsible growth."
An opportune time for a change in governance
Despite the upheavals caused by the pandemic, the group - which has enjoyed steady growth for two decades - posted sales of 116 million euros in 2020, spread across the company's two markets, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
"We are fortunate to operate in stable, complementary markets that have been spared the crisis overall. Our strategic analysis confirms that this trend is set to continue, enabling Ségolène and I to build our collaboration under the best possible conditions. The 10 years I've spent working alongside Jacques have been a rich experience, and it's a great honour for me to continue this family adventure with Ségolène, with whom I share the same values, starting with proximity and expertise at the service of our customers: this has been the strength of Gattefossé since its creation".says Eduardo de Purgly, Group Managing Director.
Bright prospects ahead
After launching its latest cosmetic active ingredient, Elevastin, in April, whose biological efficacy was assessed using a new skin micro-tissue model developed in partnership with Lyon-based BioMeca, Gattefossé is preparing to launch three pharmaceutical products. At the same time, the group is pursuing its international expansion, and is about to start construction work on a production site in Texas. To support its development, Gattefossé plans to continue strengthening its teams, both at headquarters in the Lyon region and internationally.
