ParfumPlus Arabia

PARFUMPLUS (PP) : HAVING STUDIED PERFUMERY AT ROBERTET IN 1983 AND THEN STARTING OFF WITH GIVAUDAN AND NOW BACK IN GIVAUDAN, CAN YOU PLEASE ENCAPSULATE YOUR CAREER, FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR READERS? Xavier Renard (X R) : Yes, right out of finishing a first year of college in the US, I attended a perfumery school in Grasse. I then had the amazing opportunity to join Givaudan in Geneva, Hong Kong and New York. For 20 years, I had different experiences in the industry moving from the perfumer expertise to more business oriented positions. Now, I am back at Givaudan since 2017 and so aligned with the vision, the purpose and the DNA of the company. PP : AFTER MORE THAN 3 DECADES IN THE INDUSTRY, WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION? X R : If you are going to work in the fragrance business, in any function, you need to have a passion for the world of perfume and perfume creation. That is the reason why I went to perfumery school in Grasse as opposed to continuing my chemistry studies in Southern California. This passion, I have always had it and I still do and because I am very curious by nature and I have always wanted to understand the other roles and functions in our industry without ever losing this passion that I have for fragrances. PP : TELL US A BIT ABOUT XAVIER, THE PERFUMER AND WHETHER YOU MISS BEING A PERFUMER? X R : I am very proud of the fragrances I have created but then came a moment for me to move on. I don’t miss being a perfumer as I am still very XAVIER RENARD STARTED out as a perfumer and then chose to explore the other domains of the perfume industry. In his career spanning more than 3 decades, he can confidently lay claim to understanding the area of fine fragrances. As Head of Fine Fragrances Europe since 2017 then Global Head of Fine Fragrance since 2021, he has helped shape the vision and is now in the process of achieving that vision. Here are some excerpts from the conversation. Together, We Create A Positive Impact…” “ P A R F U M P L U S 33