Estée Lauder: René Lammers appointed head of research and innovation

Estée Lauder has appointed René Lammers as executive vice president, research and innovation. This appointment will take effect on October 1. He will join the management team under Stéphane de La Faverie, CEO and president of the American cosmetics group, whose portfolio includes Clinique, Deciem, and Le Labo.

Formerly scientific director at PepsiCo, Lammers will be in charge of all the group’s research and innovation activities, with priority given to accelerating strategic scientific partnerships and integrating disruptive technologies.

“With the arrival of René Lammers, my executive team is now complete, ready to lead our next chapter of growth,” said La Faverie in a statement.

In recent months, Estée Lauder has continued to revise its organizational chart. In early July, for example, Franck Besnard, former General Manager France, was promoted to head Northern and Western Europe.

But this managerial dynamism does not mask the group’s structural difficulties. In August, Estée Lauder reported a net loss of $546 million for the fourth quarter of its 2025 fiscal year, exacerbated by the restructuring plan launched in February. The plan calls for the elimination of up to 7,000 positions worldwide, at an estimated overall cost of between $1.2 and $1.6 billion.

Annual sales fell by 8% to $14.3 billion, with a particularly sharp drop in travel retail, down 28%. Only the perfume segment managed to hold its own.

The group hopes to begin a rebound as early as 2026, relying on a gradual recovery, the leverage of e-commerce, and a selective pricing policy. However, it remains cautious in the face of persistent trade tensions.