Presentation of the IT Awards

Nathalie Dessirier

Charles Emmanuel Gounod

International business executive with global experience in B to B in the consumer products industry (Beauty & Cosmetics), goal driven with a passion for people and products. Charles-Emmanuel Gounod has the ability to grow business in existing and emerging markets through organic and external growth (M&A), manage cross cultural and multidisciplinary teams to drive results, including pre and post-acquisition situations. His global business expertise is the result of over 45 years living and working in Asia, Europe and North America. He holds a business degree in Economy from Bocconi University, Milan, Italy as well as from INSEAD. He is fluent in English, Italian and French. Beautyworld Connexions’ mission - a consulting firm based in Brussels, Belgium, with also an office in Paris, France - is to connect people & business throughout the world to generate growth and profits. Charles-Emmanuel Gounod, its CEO & Founder, brings 45 years of B to B global business experience - at senior executive levels - in the Beauty & Cosmetics industry in multinational organization (Rexam and Givaudan) as well as family owned companies (Intercos). His expertise is particularly strong in business development in areas such as cosmetic packaging development, color cosmetics design and fragrance creation. He is a French and Swiss citizen. In addition to his Beauty & Cosmetics products experience, Charles-Emmanuel Gounod has: • developed a strong knowledge of business development in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America, from strategy to implementation • been involved in several M&A and pre and post-acquisition integration projects • developed a global understanding of business protocol in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America Since early 2013, Charles-Emmanuel Gounod, has been successfully working with various global packaging companies (Ileos, Texen), eager to expand through M&A in Asia and in North America. He is also advising private equity firms and investors with plans to expand into the cosmetic industry (packaging, formulation and full service) as well as several startups willing to expand internationally.

Florence Bernardin

Florence BERNARDIN founded in 2003, Asia Cosme Lab alias Information et Inspiration, a Franco-Asian team of experts entirely dedicated to monitor and follow Asian cosmetics markets from North Asia to South East ones including India & Thailand Fluent in Japanese language, she has a Marketing graduate from a French business school, 13 years of professional experience working for Kao Corporations, a major Japanese company. Since 1_ years, Florence Bernardin is General Manager of Information & Inspiration and with her team, recognized as an Asian expert in the beauty industry. The unique work and analyses provided by Florence BERNARDIN and her team focus on hunting and decoding innovative aspects in cosmetics products. With her team, she spotlights trends, innovation, evolution and influential approaches from Asia, which is now considered as the real new beauty world. Asia Cosme Lab agency tracks new trends via product launchings, consumers insights, follow up of local influencers and of course more than regular market visits. Asia Cosme Lab offers trends analysis services and innovation consulting based on business intelligence about the Asian cosmetics markets.

Jean-Louis Mathiez

Packaging expert Jean-Louis Mathiez has held various positions within major international groups. In the 1980s, he worked at Revlon as head of the packaging validation lab, then spent seven years at Bourjois and Chanel in the quality and packaging study division. In 1997, he joined L’Oréal, where he oversaw operational development of makeup packaging for brands such as Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris. His journey continued at Coty, where strategic innovation played a key role. Driven by his creative passion, he decided to embark on an industrial adventure and founded Cinqpats. Today, Cinqpats serves both the ultra-luxury segment and mass-market distribution.

Julia Challes

True innovator and strategic thinker with +15 years' experience in the Beauty Industry across global corporations SMEs and start-ups.

Thierry de Baschmakoff

Designer and Creative Director at La French Company, collaborating for 35 years with top luxury brands in the perfume and cosmetics industry.

Luisa Oliva

With a passion for Beauty, Science and Botanics, Luisa Oliva, Pharm.D R&D and Technical Marketing Consultant in International Cosmetics, draws most of her inspiration from Nature. As an international formulation artisan and beauty enthusiast, her goal is to create the perfect formulation to support future innovations. Her 25 years of experience in the industry, including her work at Intercos and L’Oréal as a Research and Innovation Manager, and her constant quest for innovations give her a bird’s eyeview on what’s best on the market and what will be the key of success for future projects. Luisa is a sought-after international expert and is invited to present the latest trends in makeup and clean makeup in various Scientific and Beauty events. She has been a partner of the ‘MakeUp in’ organisation and a member of the ‘MakeUp in’ Jury, evaluating the innovations from the suppliers, for the past ten years. Luisa is also a teacher at the ISIPCA for French & International Masters and at several universities in Europe and in the USA.

Audrey Ducardonnet

Audrey Ducardonnet is the founder of Rose Pirate and an expert in product development and cosmetic innovation. With experience at leading beauty houses such as Chanel and LVMH, she now supports brands in creating sensory formulations and innovative, responsible, and meaningful products at the crossroads of skincare, makeup, and emotion.

Isabelle Pain

Makeup Artist & Product Development Consultant Having dedicated herself to the art of makeup for three decades, Isabelle Pain has ventured into multiple domains, honing her skills and embracing diverse opportunities to practice, develop, and train in the art of makeup. Regardless of her assignments, Isabelle always approaches her work with a passionate and instinctive mindset, considering her profession as a cra!. She describes her artistic realm as eclectic, combining elements of couture and mainstream aesthetics, in order to make creativity accessible to all.

Aimara Coupet

Nathalie Dessirier

Alicia Grande

With a lifelong passion for beauty, Alicia Grande founded Grande Cosmetics in 2008 with her own personal funding and turned it into America’s #1 Lash & Brow Serum Brand. Her path into beauty began early in retail, but it was discovering a lash enhancing serum that truly worked for her after experiencing postpartum lash loss, that propelled her entrepreneurial spirit into high gear. Early in her career, Alicia hosted The Health Buzz, a radio show where she interviewed top experts and doctors about beauty trends and innovations. The founding of Grande Cosmetics and its award-winning hero product, GrandeLASH-MD Lash Enhancing Serum, a revolutionary formula that promotes longer, thicker-looking lashes, was inspired by those insights.  After 18 years as Founder and CEO, Alicia transitioned into the role of Chief Visionary Officer to focus more deeply on long-term strategy, innovation, & future growth. Alicia leads a female-founded company that employs a diverse team of women and retails at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and Salon Centric. Through Grande Gives Back, she has helped raise over $1,000,000 for women’s health and social impact organizations. Her leadership has been recognized with more than 150 beauty awards, including the 2023 CEW Female Founder Honoree and 2024 New You Media Entrepreneur of the Year.

Elana Drell Szyfer

Elana Drell Szyfer is an experienced CEO, board member, and private equity operator and advisor, with deep knowledge of the global beauty industry. She has a proven track record of brand development, long-term strategy development, building out organizations, partnering with creative founders, domestic and international commercial development, and mentoring and developing high-performance teams and individuals, including first-time C-suite executives, and CEO’s. In January 2026, Elana assumed the role of President at CEW, (Cosmetic Executive Women), the largest member organization for the beauty, health and wellness industries. Elana was most recently the CEO of ReVive Skincare, a luxury skincare brand, a role she served in from 2017, when Tengram Capital Partners purchased the brand from Shiseido Americas through April 2025. In October 2024, ReVive was sold to S’Young, a publicly traded Chinese beauty conglomerate. Elana and her team lead this successful transaction, and subsequent transition. Elana sits on the board of Nest New York, the fragrance and lifestyle company Dime Beauty, Marcy Labs, and Malln and Goetz. Prior to ReVive, Elana ran Laura Geller Beauty, also a Tengram Capital Partners Portfolio company which sold to Warburg Pincus/Glansaol in 2016. Elana led North American and Global teams in the role of CEO at Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories , a Skincare company headquartered in Israel. Prior to her fifteen years of experience with private equity portfolio companies, Elana spent nearly twenty years at three global beauty giants; L’Oreal, Avon and Estee Lauder, where she held roles of increasing responsibility in marketing and strategy across a variety of product categories and distribution channels. In addition to her reputation as a skilled marketer and growth driver, strategist and leader, Elana is often called upon for thought leadership by the media and professional organizations on a range of topics including beauty, retail, health and wellness, luxury goods and the China market. In addition to her current board roles, Elana also served on the board of This Works Skincare, Algenist Skincare, Gotha, an Italian color cosmetics contract manufacturer and Cos Bar, the specialty retailer. Elana is a founding member of the Alumnae Legacy Circle of Columbia College and has served as an executive Mentor for FIT’s Cosmetic and Fragrance Marketing and Management Program. She was also a member of Chief Women’s Executive Network and is a current member of The Board, The WIE Suite, and DealmakeHERS three women’s executive membership organizations. In 2020, Elana was awarded the prestigious Achievers Award by CEW, and was named to the Glossy 50 in Fashion, Beauty and Retail. In 2019, Luxury Daily named her a Luxury Woman to Watch. Select additional recognition includes the March of Dimes Spirit of Beauty Award and she was named as one of the 50 Most Influential Jewish Americans by The Forward. Elana holds a B.A. in History from Columbia College, Columbia University and a M.B.A. from Stern School of Business, New York University. She is fluent in French and conversant in Spanish. In Fall 2025, Elana became an adjunct faculty member in the Masters Program for Cosmetics and Fragrance at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she teaches a class in Luxury Brand Management and Marketing.

Kelly Kovack

Kelly Kovack is the Founder and CEO of BeautyMatter, a leading beauty industry media and insights platform. With more than two decades of experience across brand strategy, retail, marketing, and industry analysis, she is recognized as a trusted authority on innovation, consumer behavior, and the evolving beauty and wellness landscape. Prior to founding BeautyMatter in 2016, Kelly built her career across beauty brands and strategic advisory roles, developing a reputation for identifying emerging market opportunities and translating industry shifts into actionable business insight. Through BeautyMatter, she provides executives, investors, and entrepreneurs with thoughtful, context-driven intelligence that informs decision-making across the global beauty sector. Kelly is widely respected for her ability to connect industry trends, commercial strategy, and cross-sector innovation, and for her perspective on the future of beauty, wellness, and consumer engagement.

Akshay Talati

Akshay Talati is a product development and R&D leader with more than 30 years of experience in the beauty and personal care industries. Over his career, he has shaped innovations for dozens of the world’s leading brands, including Estée Lauder, Unilever, L’Oréal, and Goop across skincare, suncare, color cosmetics, haircare, OTC, ingestibles, and dermatology - driving global brand growth while advancing industry standards in sensoriality, efficacy, and science driven innovation. At Supergoop!, Akshay serves as Chief Innovation Officer, where he focuses on building a long-term pipeline of disruptive sun protection technologies grounded in scientific rigor and consumer insight. A registered pharmacist, Akshay holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in pharmaceutical sciences. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, where he previously held the roles of President and Chair of Scientific Affairs. He is also an Honorary Professor of Practice at K.L.E. College of Pharmacy, an advisory board member to Cosmetics & Toiletries and Beauty Connect, and co-founder of Skindie, a platform supporting science-based education for indie beauty founders. Passionate about mentorship and education, he actively contributes as a speaker, writer, and industry thought leader, helping shape the future of the beauty industry.

Héloise Lefebvre du Prey

A French cosmetics expert with a passion for all things beauty, she has built her career at Asia Cosme Lab, a leading Asian beauty consulting agency. Currently overseeing the South East Asian markets, she travels regularly to Indonesia, Thailand, and India, deepening her expertise across diverse beauty cultures. She is an active participant in international beauty conferences and frequently serves as a jury member for prestigious beauty awards. Her key areas of interest include the rise of Halal Beauty, the fast-evolving Indian beauty market, and emerging global trends such as Green & Clean Beauty, as well as the dynamic East vs. West perspectives shaping the industry.

Iris Eun

Korean beauty expert passionate about the Asian beauty sector. Trilingual and raised in a multi-cultural environment, she has been leading Asia Cosme Lab’s Korea team for the last 4 years. Previously, she has occupied Marketing roles at Chanel and L’Oréal, building expertise in consumer insight, product development and launches.

Ewelina Aiossa

Ewelina Aiossa is a seasoned beauty executive and strategic advisor with more than 15 years of leadership experience spanning luxury beauty, scientific skincare, medical aesthetics, and wellness. She has built and scaled brands by combining strategic vision, innovation, operational rigor, and a deep understanding of the consumer. Her career includes leadership roles with L’Oréal SkinCeuticals, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetics, and Topix Pharmaceuticals, as well as experience across multinational organizations, founder-led businesses, and private equity-backed companies. She has overseen brand strategy, product innovation, commercialization, and portfolio expansion across physician-dispensed, luxury retail, professional spa, and direct-to-consumer channels. Known for her ability to balance brand equity with commercial growth, Ewelina has guided brands through periods of repositioning, expansion, and transformation. Her work has included incubating and scaling brands across skincare, fragrance, nutraceutical, and wellness categories, with a focus on scientific credibility, consumer relevance, and long-term value creation. In addition to founding TOPICAL SKIN, a clean dermocosmetic skincare line, Ewelina advises emerging and established beauty companies and private equity firms on commercialization strategy, portfolio optimization, and scalable growth. She brings an executive perspective shaped by both operating and entrepreneurial experience, with a strong commitment to building brands that are as enduring as they are differentiated.