Personal Care Product Council Annual Meeting Begins

At the general session of the Personal Care Products Council’s 117^th Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida today, more than 450 industry leaders gathered to elect new officers and discuss opportunities and challenges in the global business environment in the next two decades.

In his remarks, Council Chairman Dan Brestle paid tribute to the industry’s diverse, founding icons, and noted the similarities between the challenges they faced and overcame, and industry issues and opportunities that exist today, including government regulation and the complexities in global business and digital communications.He urged industry leaders to “…marshal our intrinsic strengths as an industry and work together with our association to tackle those challenges and realize the unprecedented opportunities ahead.”

Council President and CEO Lezlee Westine outlined key Council accomplishments in 2010, including preventing the passage of onerous, new federal legislation, working to harmonize global regulations, and representing the industry’s interests before Chinese officials, and gave an overview of goals for the coming year.

Keynote speaker Joshua Cooper Ramo, called “one of China’s leading foreign-born scholars” by the World Economic Forum and an award-winning journalist and China analyst for NBC News during the 2008 Olympic Games, noted the “constant and persistent disruption” in the world today and challenged attendees to view an increasingly complex and wired world with a broader perspective.

The General Session also featured a CEO panel with industry leaders E. Scott Beattie, president & CEO, Elizabeth Arden, Thia Breen, president, North America, The Estee Lauder Companies and Stefano Curti, president, J&J Consumer Products Company Beauty, who reflected on Mr. Ramo’s insights and shared how their companies are navigating the current business environment.

During the session, Dan Brestle was re-elected as chairman. Other officers are Vice Chairs: William Gentner, KAO Brand, Heidi Manheimer, Shiseido Cosmetics (USA) and Ed Shirley, Procter & Gamble; Secretary: Linda Marshall, Elysee Scientific Cosmetics and Treasurer: Scott Beattie, Elizabeth Arden.

More info: www.personalcarecouncil.org