2019 Investor Days
Focusing on our global innovation ecosystem

Our newly inaugurated Zurich Innovation Centre (ZIC) was the stimulating location for this year’s 2019 Investor Days which took place in Kemptthal on 15 and 16 October. The two-day programme enabled close to 80 investors and analysts to experience first-hand the Company’s new flagship innovation centre.

“This centre provides an inspiring environment where we, along with our customers and partners, can co-create innovative solutions and leverage our broad expertise in flavours, fragrances, active cosmetic ingredients and natural solutions.”

Markus, Operations Manager ZIC

The first day included a tour of the facility and a presentation on the importance of innovation at Givaudan, and how the Company’s culture of innovation drives the long-term development of cost-effective and long-lasting differentiating solutions. This was an opportunity for our Heads of Science and Technology of our two business divisions to connect directly with investors and analysts and during a presentation to offer insights into our research and development activities from the points of view of flavours and of fragrances.

“This new state of the art innovation centre recognises the important contribution our scientists make to pioneering new fragrance ingredients. It’s been designed for collaboration and co-creation and will support us in discovering new sustainable solutions for the future.” Jeremy, Head of Global Fragrance Science & Technology

“The Zurich Innovation Centre is part of our global innovation ecosystem and the next step in our collaborative efforts to lead the industry in tackling the most pressing challenges to the future of food. Our ambition is to connect a wide range of platforms, partners and experts across our global innovation network to accelerate new ideas and improve the sustainability of the food value chain.” Fabio, Head of Global Flavour Science & Technology

The second day was a deep dive into our science and creation capabilities with a laboratory tour and presentations by scientists on key areas of research and product development. These exhibits were the perfect opportunity for analysts and scientists to interact and exchange knowledge and ideas.

The two day event was a great opportunity to guide people through the centre giving them first-hand knowledge of how the Zurich Innovation Centre enables close collaboration and co-creation with Givaudan’s customers, partners and start-ups.

If you would like to have a copy of the investor presentation,
> please contact us

2019 Analysts visit ‘white biotechnology’ biorefinery at Pomacle
Europe’s highest-capacity biorefinery 

Givaudan Active Beauty has welcomed 34 investors and analysts to its ‘white biotechnology’ Centre of Excellence at Pomacle in France, where active cosmetic ingredients are researched, developed and produced.

The 13 September-visit was hosted by Laurent Bourdeau, Head of Active Beauty, who gave a presentation on the business and its capabilities. Laurent said the active cosmetic ingredients industry is today worth one billion Swiss francs worldwide, and that Givaudan’s target was to reach 100 million Swiss francs by 2020 in the sector.

“It was very encouraging to see the level of interest and understanding by the analysts of what we do at Givaudan Active Beauty and specifically at Pomacle, which is essentially the fusion of science and nature to deliver high performing solutions to our customers, in a sustainable way by optimising the use of the renewable biomass available locally,” he said after the tour.

‘White biotechnology’ is the development of manufacturing processes that do not rely on traditional chemistry and which carry the added benefit of enabling cosmetic scientists to design hard-to-make molecules.

The biorefinery at Pomacle, also known as the European Biorefinery Institute, is a unique model of circular economy, integrating physical and bio-conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, heat, and value-added bio-sourced molecules from local biomass. It is Europe’s highest-capacity biorefinery and operates 24 hours per day, employing 1,200 people.

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> please contact us

2019 Half year investor conference
The future of beauty and welllness: from perfumes to cosmetics

Givaudan is going beyond fragrances to embrace a world of beauty – crafting innovative cosmetic actives and engaging consumers’ senses further in both sight and touch.

Our expansion into active cosmetics and becoming a key player in the industry was the focus of the half year conference for investor analysts, held on 29 August in Zurich, Switzerland, and attended by more than 70 participants.

CEO Gilles Andrier opened the session explaining how building the Active Beauty business was fully in line with Givaudan’s 2020 strategy. “Today our customers appreciate the fusing of science and nature for innovative cosmetic solutions and our Active Beauty business is well on track to achieve our ambitious sales target in our 2020 strategy,” said Andrier.

In a presentation, ‘From perfumes to cosmetics’, Fabrice Lefèvre, Marketing and Innovation Director of Active Beauty, said the business looked to the natural world for inspiration. “We draw upon the extraordinary benefits and properties of plants, microorganisms and vegetable sources, translating these with the latest sustainable biotechnologies into highly functional, high-performance products,” said Lefèvre.

“We unlock the skincare benefits of active ingredients sourced naturally. Our sustainability approach enables brands to develop new fully natural formulations expected by consumers nowadays.”

The active cosmetic ingredients industry is worth one billion Swiss francs. Givaudan currently has sales of about 80 million Swiss francs and aims to increase this to 100 million by 2020, once again demonstrating Givaudan's strong track record of acquiring companies and growing above the market. 

Givaudan’s next investor event will be on 13 September 2019 with a visit to the Active Beauty unit at Pomacle in France. Participants will visit our research, development and production site and gain an overview of how our circular economy model is sustainably transforming the way we produce active cosmetic ingredients.

If you would like to have a copy of the investor presentation,
> please contact us

2019 Annual investor conference
A strong start to 2019 and GBS on track against plan

More than 40 investors and analysts from institutions in Europe at Givaudan’s 2019 annual investor conference heard of the Company’s progress against its strategic targets as well as an update on the implementation of Givaudan Business Solutions (GBS).

At the conference at Vernier, Switzerland on 9 April, Givaudan CEO Gilles Andrier gave an overview of the 2018 full year results as well as the 2019 first quarter sales, and said the Company had made a strong start to the year.

Andrier said this good business momentum to 2019, together with the project pipeline and win rates sustained at a high level, was achieved across all product segments and geographies.

“Our key strategic focus areas of Naturals, Health and well-being, Active Beauty, Integrated solutions and local and regional customers delivered strong growth, supported by the recent acquisitions,” he said.

In the first three months of this year, Givaudan recorded sales of CHF 1,525 million, an increase of 6.3% on a like-for-like¹ basis compared to the previous year. Flavour Division sales were CHF 848 million, an increase of 4.3% on a like-for-like basis. Fragrance Division sales were CHF 677 million, an increase of 8.7% on a like-for-like basis.

Anne Tayac, Head of GBS, said the implementation of GBS was going according to plan and delivering tangible benefits in line with objectives. European and US transitions had been successfully completed, GBS centres in Budapest, Buenos Aires and Kuala Lumpur were fully operational, and Latin America and Asia Pacific transitions are underway. The full project is on track to be completed in 2020. 

“GBS is our unique platform to deliver efficiencies and agility hand in hand with the business so we can ensure our customers have an excellent experience each time they interact with Givaudan. We're also better positioned to leverage digital opportunities as we continuously improve our solutions,” Tayac said.

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2018 Givaudan investor days
Capturing growth with Indonesia’s potential

The exotic tastes and smells of Indonesia have been experienced first-hand by 15 participants during Givaudan’s 2018 Investor Days. Their visit on 22 and 23 October included a tour of the Company’s new commercial and development centre in Jakarta.

> Givaudan opens new commercial and development centre in Indonesia

The investor analysts heard details of Indonesia’s potential and about Givaudan’s plans for the country and the region from Givaudan CEO Gilles Andrier, Regional Head Fragrances Asia Pacific Ben Webb and Head of Flavours ASEAN Tansukh Jain.

Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world holds substantial potential for the Company’s products. Givaudan has been present in Indonesia since 1993 and has significantly invested in people and facilities in the country. In addition to the new centre in Jakarta, the Company manufactures liquids, powder blends, spray dry flavours and fragrance liquid compounds in Cimanggis (province of West Java).

Increasing urbanisation and the growing middle class in Indonesia are giving rise to a more dynamic market for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). The Investor Days attendees were told how Givaudan is well placed for this growth and is investing in the country and the region to capture the opportunities. The Company’s customer base is growing both regionally and locally, and building customer intimacy alongside this growth is crucial for continuing success, the investor analysts heard. 

Appropriately, the 2018 Investor Days concluded with an Indonesian heritage dinner.

Givaudan’s Naturals sourcing and regional presence in Indonesia

> Indonesia: securing a sustainable patchouli oil supply

2018 Half year investor conference
Winning in South East Asia

Givaudan’s business prospects in the promising markets of the South East Asia region was the focus of the Company’s 18th traditional half year conference for investor analysts, held on 30 August in Zurich. Over 60 participants attended to hear of the Company’s current business activities and plans to capitalise on the region’s potential.

CEO Gilles Andrier reviewed the 2018 Half Year Results and gave an outlook on the business generally. Sales for the first six months of the year were CHF 2,674 million, an increase of 5.6% on a like-for-like basis and 7.7% in Swiss francs. He confirmed the continued recovery in high growth markets with sales growth balanced between high growth and mature markets, with all acquired businesses demonstrating strong growth profile.

Special guest speakers Fernando Miquelerana for Flavours and Ben Webb for Fragrances gave presentations on Givaudan’s business in the high growth markets of the region – Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The South East Asia region has some of the biggest and fastest growing markets for Givaudan. In Indonesia, for example, the low urbanisation rates as well as the small number of people in the middle class represent a substantial future potential for the Company’s products and services. Today, Indonesia represents 4% of Group sales, similar to India, the Middle East, Brazil, Mexico, Japan and the UK and Ireland. It ranks in the top ten countries of the Givaudan Group.

In October, the 2018 Investor Days event will continue this focus on high growth markets. The event will be held in Jakarta, where analysts will visit Givaudan’s new creation and application laboratories, and hear ‘on the ground’ of the Company’s business prospects.

If you would like to have a copy of the investor presentation,
> please contact us

2018 Annual investor conference
A good start to the year and on track for GBS implementation

Givaudan’s annual investor conference was held in Vernier, Geneva on 10 April 2018, and brought together 39 investors and analysts from institutions in Europe.

Gilles Andrier, Givaudan CEO, presented the Company’s 2018 first quarter sales: in the first three months of the year, Givaudan recorded sales of CHF 1,308 million, an increase of 5% on a like-for-like-basis. The good growth was achieved across all product segments and geographies, with recent acquisitions all continuing to contribute positively. Andrier updated attendees on Givaudan’s 2020 strategy which in part seeks to create value through targeted acquisitions. In particular, he gave on overview on the recently announced plan to purchase 40.6% of Naturex.

Special topic speaker Anne Tayac, Head of Givaudan Business Solutions (GBS), presented an update on the implementation of GBS, Givaudan's new platform to drive agility and efficiency in line with its ambition to 'deliver with excellence'. Tayac’s review of key achievements so far, which followed her presentation to investors in August 2017, showed how GBS leverages digital technology, ensures a superior customer experience and brings value to the Company’s businesses.

“We are well on track with the implementation of GBS with a number of sites already working hand-in-hand with our GBS delivery centres in Europe and Asia Pacific,” said Tayac.

Conference participants were able to talk to members of the Executive Committee during a buffet lunch featuring Hungarian, Argentine and Malaysian specialities – a neat connection to the countries hosting GBS service centres.

If you would like to have a copy of the investor presentation,
> please contact us

2017 Annual investor conference
Opportunites to create value with our customers in Japan

At this year’s annual investor conference, held in Vernier (Geneva) on 11 April 2017, we presented the overview of our 2017 first quarter performance in addition to an update on Asia, with a special focus on Japan.

Monila Kothari, Head Flavours Asia, and Ben Webb, Head Fragrances Asia, presented the Asian fragrance and flavour markets and spoke on our strong position in this region and the opportunities available to Givaudan: Asia is our biggest and fastest growing market with about a quarter of its revenues in the region (more than one billion Swiss francs). This is impressive when considering that the region represented just 18% of sales in 2000. Today, our footprint extends to 15 Asian countries with around 2,000 dedicated employees. 

Participants were able to meet and discuss further with Monila and Ben during a buffet lunch with Japanese influence.

If you would like to have a copy of the investor presentation,
> please contact us

2017 Half year conference
Addressing fast-changing consumer desires and market trends by reducing internal complexity

The 2017 Half year conference was held at the Widderhotel, in Zurich on 30 August. Gilles Andrier, CEO, opened the session by welcoming participants and giving a quick overview of Givaudan’s performance during this half year.

This year’s conference gave us the opportunity to introduce Givaudan Business Solutions, the creation which was announced with the half year results 2016.

Anne Tayac, Head of Givaudan Business Solutions

Over 26 participants were given the opportunity to listen to Anne Tayac, Executive Committee member and Head of Givaudan Business Solutions, present the company’s strategy to maintain our agility and excellence in execution to offer a superior customer experience. As Givaudan continues to grow, we are determined to maintain our agility and excellence in execution in order to offer a superior customer experience. This is the underlying rational for GBS: a global organisational unit providing best-in-class internal processes and services. 

2017 Givaudan investor days
A portal into the promising opportunities in Asia and Japan

Givaudan organised another voyage of olfactive and gustative discovery, and this year we brought investors and analysts to Asia to visit our creation, technology and production centres in Japan. The two day event was organised in Tokyo and Fukuroi on 17 and 18 October 2017.

The Japanese flavour market is very innovative, especially in the beverage and snack sector. Japan is therefore an important source of inspiration for our Flavour Division.

Japanese cuisine is very sophisticated and encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of social and economic changes. 

The traditional cuisine of Japan, 和食 washoku, is based on rice with miso soup and a variety of dishes with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi. Seafood and vegetables are also deep-fried in a light batter, as tempura. Apart from rice, staples include noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan also has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyakiand nikujaga.

In our Flavour creation and application labs in Tokyo participants got a glimpse of this great variety of culinary tastes. The visit was complemented with a tour of our production facility in Fukuroi that aims at authentic Japanese taste.

Fragrance is a very sophisticated market in Japan and Givaudan boasts a success story in the Japanese fragrance market: from fifth position in 2006 to achieving leadership in recent years. There are many opportunities in fine fragrances and consumer products. Walking through the glittering halls of the Mitsukoshi or Takashimaya department stores, you won’t find the endless expanse of fragrance bars that you would see in Europe or North America. This is not to say that there isn’t an interesting selection of both prestige and niche lines in Japan. Perfuming the air or the clothes is a more acceptable way of scenting oneself, as applying perfumes directly on skin runs counter to the purity stipulations of Shinto, the indigenous faith of the Japanese people

And we can not forget that beauty is big business in Japan, where the sales of cosmetics make this country the world’s second largest market after the USA. You can find entire magazines devoted to nothing but cosmetics and anti-ageing products, delivered with the kind of attention to detail that is astonishing. The opportunities for our Active Beauty abounds.