Nearly 400 beauty industry leaders from around the world are in Florida this week for the Personal Care Product Council's 123rd Annual Meeting. In keeping with the event's theme, “Redefining Beauty in a Changing World,” attendees are focused on the interplay of corporate responsibility, consumer trust and changes to the political landscape.

 
“Perhaps at no time in our history has there been such a dynamic convergence of challenges and opportunities for our industry,” said Council President and CEO Lezlee Westine. “This week’s program is timely, as it reflects the momentous changes in our society and will provide keen insight into how our member companies can effectively respond and embrace the new world order.”


This year’s program includes presentations and panel discussions with world-renowned experts on topics such as:
• “What Do the Nov. 8 Elections Mean for the Personal Care Industry?;”
• “Making Ideas Happen;"
• “Earning Trust in an Age of Populism: A Roadmap for Engagement;”
• “Millennial Beauty Brands: Creating Cultural Impact and Making a Connection;”
• “From Beauty Inspiration to Business Transformation;”
• Listen to the Beauty Influencer;”
• “Digital Humanism: The Coming Age of Content” and
• “The Global Shea Alliance: Redefining the Connection between Consumers and Ingredients.”


“All of these subjects are significant—not simply so that we can better market our products, but how we can better interact and forge trusted relationships with today’s policymakers, NGOs, media and consumers in a global community,” said Westine. “Central to everything we do is the value of ‘trust,’ which has been strongly associated with our industry and our products for more than a century.”


The November election discussion includes panelists Bruce Mehlman, founding partner of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, along with Darius Anderson, founder and CEO of Platinum Advisors, LLC, and Emily Giske, Partner at Bolton-St. Johns. They will discuss the impact of the election on the Council’s legislative and regulatory goals at the federal, state, and local level.


Scott Belsky, general partner at Benchmark, Founder of Behance, and author of the national bestselling book Making Ideas Happen will share insights and practical tips that can be used to push bold creative projects to completion by overcoming the obstacles between vision and reality.


Jennifer Cohan, president, Edelman New York will discuss findings from the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer. Her firm’s annual global survey of 28 countries and 33,000+ respondents measures consumer trust in the institutions of government, business, nongovernmental organizations and media.


Yomi Abiola, Editor at Vogue Italia online will lead a panel discussion about a unique worldwide initiative that promotes the sustainability of the shea butter industry as well as the economic empowerment of women in Africa.  Shannon Hess, Associate Director-Responsible Sourcing, Burt’s Bees will highlight how approximately 600,000 tons of shea are collected each year, serving as a critical source of nutrition and income from the food and cosmetics industries.


The Council also announced the re-election of Board Chair, Thia Breen, Group President, North America, The Estée Lauder Companies.

 
In her speech to members, Breen reflected, “When you consider the scope of change surrounding our industry—from the evolving ways consumers shop and experience brands to how and where they consume and share information, to the new regulatory climate—we want to ensure that we are the ones defining the terms of the conversation. We are at our strongest when we come together to reaffirm our core principles, when we take stock of our industry’s challenges, and proactively plan for tomorrow,” said Breen.
 

The Council also announced election of the following officers:
 
Vice Chairs: George Calvert, Amway
Andrea d’Avack, Chanel
David Greenberg, L’Oréal
Alex Keith, Procter & Gamble
 

For Treasurer: David Holl, Mary Kay Cosmetics