Recently, Unilever has appointed Jean-Phillippe Courtois as R&D Director for its Prestige Division, marking a significant step in the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation in the high-end beauty space. Courtois, who joined Unilever in 2000 as a formulation scientist, most recently served as R&D Strategy and Operations Lead within the same division.
In his new role, Courtois will oversee research and development across Unilever Prestige’s portfolio, which includes premium beauty brands such as Murad, Kate Somerville, REN Clean Skincare, Tatcha, Living Proof, and Hourglass. Announcing his appointment on LinkedIn, Courtois expressed enthusiasm about “more innovations with all our talented brand teams and partners.”
The Prestige Division, established in 2014 by Vasiliki Petrou, has played a crucial role in driving Unilever’s growth in the premium beauty segment. Under Petrou’s decade-long leadership, the division achieved 13 consecutive quarters of volume-led growth and generated €1.4 billion in turnover in 2023, thanks in part to a robust M&A strategy that brought ten brands—including Dermalogica, Paula’s Choice, and K18—into the fold.
Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson succeeded Petrou as CEO in October 2024. Unilever’s Prestige Beauty and Wellbeing portfolio, combined with its hair and skin care businesses, accounted for around 30% of the wider Beauty and Wellbeing unit’s turnover last year.
