More than 400 Attend Personal Care Product Council Annual Meeting

More than 400 industry executives attended the general session of the Personal Care Product Council’s annual meeting in Boca Raton today. The session featured Chairman Dan Brestle’s review of 2009 accomplishments and new Council President and CEO Lezlee Westine discuss 2010 goals and initiatives. The general session also included presentations from PriceWaterhouseCoopers on the economic impact and social contributions of industry and pollster John Zogby on the changing profiles of American consumers.

In his speech, Brestle, focused on the Council’s successful legislative and regulatory efforts in 2009, key advances in consumer safety, and the continued success of the Council’s signature philanthropic program, Look Good …Feel Better, which helps women deal with the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment.

“While we worked on the legislative and regulatory fronts, we also continued our work to strengthen and enhance important safety programs that reinforce our industry’s commitment to product and ingredient safety,” said Brestle.“We welcomed two new chemists to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, and we made significant progress in enhancing CIR procedures to increase efficiency.”

Westine noted the dramatic change in the political environment and said that the Council has stepped up industry visibility on Capitol Hill and in state capitols with manufacturing facility visits, educational Congressional events and legislative meetings. “On the regulatory front, we are working closely with new FDA leadership, and our lobbying for increased federal funding has strengthened FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors,” Westine said.

This is the first annual meeting for Westine since she joined the Council in May 2009. Westine previously served as president and CEO of TechNet, a bipartisan political network of CEOs and senior executives from the nation’s leading technology companies. She was also White House Director of Public Liaison and Director of Gov. Pete Wilson’s Northern California office.

During the session, Brestle was re-elected Council chairman. Other officers include: Vice chairs—William Gentner, Kao Brands; Iain Holding, Beiersdorf, North America; Heidi Manheimer, Shiseido Cosmetics (USA) and Ed Shirley, Procter & Gamble; Secretary—Linda Marshall, Elysee Scientific Cosmetics and Treasurer—Scott Beattie, Elizabeth Arden.