Interview with Gerard Aymi, CEO of Special Chemicals

Who is Gerard Aymi?Through my father, at that time I was linked to the insurance sector. My father had set up the company 5 years ago and needed to expand the sales department, I told him that I knew nothing about cosmetics and he told me that if you sell insurance you can sell anything and here I am...I would define myself as an active and curious person, passionate about the commercial world and very entrepreneurial. I like to communicate effectively and convince people, take risks and build solid teams to help consolidate goals How did Gerard come to the world of cosmetics?Because of my father, at that time I was linked to the insurance sector. My father had set up the company 5 years ago and needed to expand the sales department, I told him that I didn't know anything about cosmetics and he told me that if you sell insurance you can sell anything and here I am... What is Special Chemicals, what is its history and how did it come into being? We have always been exclusive distributors of raw materials in the cosmetics and perfumery sector. There were many distributors but not exclusive in cosmetics. My father was a chemist, but he was a great salesman, a profile difficult to find, and he saw that this type of service was lacking in the sector. Selling, but above all, training and advising. Special Chemicals was born with the distribution of raw materials for hair dyes through the distribution of Lowenstein, they were the first to give a cosmetic grade to the dye that was used at that time. After more than 30 years of foundation, what is your assessment of the trajectory?After these 30 years, the assessment is very positive, because we have made many changes and we have always adapted to the times very quickly, offering solutions and service. This has helped us to grow every year, we are very perfectionist as good Catalans and we always like to be at the top. I think that to rub shoulders with the multinationals in terms of product quality and to be able to offer better services and a closer relationship with our customers is a very good trajectory and we continue to follow it. Now you have changed your logo and corporate image, what are you looking for? Is it the beginning of a new stage for the company?We have had 3 different logos in 30 years, it is always a step forward. Now we are manufacturers, we have our own assets and technology and we continue to collaborate with our traditional suppliers. You know, an image restyling always seeks to fundamentally update, improve and revitalise the visual identity and the perception that the public has of a brand: adaptation, modernisation, repositioning, differentiation, professionalisation... etc. What do you think sets Special Chemicals apart?The commitment to people and the team, the commitment to individual talent and knowing how to delegate so that they grow and feel important. Having good partners, always being one step ahead...Since I became CEO in 2008, I have always been committed to surrounding myself with talent. And I have succeeded. We have a great team. We have been working together for many years. How important is innovation for Special Chemicals?Now more than ever, as the creation of the division of assets of our own production has led us to dedicate a lot of effort to it in order to be able to propose innovative solutions in line with new trends. It is very important, and our partners in the distribution business have always been innovators and pioneers, we are in the Beauty Cluster among other things because of innovation, and now we are innovating with our own active ingredients... But innovation is not only about products, it is also about how you serve the customer, how you sell, how you advise, and we innovate there too. You have recently created a new division for cosmetic actives... How has it evolved and in which regions are you detecting a higher demand?It's still new, we introduced them at InCosmetics Bangkok last November. Now we are going to InCosmetics Paris. They are products for TOP brands, in Europe, but also in South East Asia and America. Are there regional preferences?Cosmetic trend preferences can vary significantly from region to region due to cultural, climatic, demographic and lifestyle differences. Here are some common regional cosmetic trends:East Asia for example shows a lot of interest in innovative skin care products for clear and luminous skin, in South East Asia products for sun protection and multifunctional actives, in Europe natural, sustainable cosmetics, in Latin America for hair care... How do you prioritise R&D projects in the company and what role do market trends and customer needs play in this process? R&D is a high priority as I have already mentioned and market trends must be known even before they become trends, you have to move, listen to customers, the Beauty Cluster works well on trends... What is your opinion about Artificial Intelligence and how do you think you can integrate it into the ecosystem of the cosmetics and Special Chemicals industry? You have to keep up with digitalisation. We are still in a business with a lot of networking and B2B, still, but we have to be prepared and we are... What are the company's short and long-term objectives? To continue to expand our presence in the different global markets and for this we are investing in technical, technological and regulatory aspects in our SCH brand and we are increasing our presence in the sector's magazines, product presentations at trade fairs and national and international events. We entered innovation competitions. We have a new website and we communicate more through social networks... How do you expect the cosmetics sector to evolve and what is the main challenge you will face? The cosmetics sector is evolving very fast and with incredible quality, sustainability and awareness parameters. When it comes to cosmetic science, the cosmetics sector will continue to experience significant growth in the coming years, driven by a number of key trends and factors such as new regulations, technological innovations, customisation and global competition.

Interview with Gerard Aymi, CEO of Special Chemicals

The head of Special Chemicals spoke about the brand's new in-house manufacturing assets division and the importance of innovation in the company