Press release -
Nomination of new IFRA Chairman signals new era
Geneva, 31 October 2024 – The Board of Directors of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) today announced the nomination of Paul Andersson to the role of Chairman of the organization. Mr Andersson takes over from Hans Holger Gliewe, who successfully served as Chairman of the association and has now decided to step back after almost five years of fruitful leadership.
“I am delighted to shepherd IFRA into a new future,” said Mr Andersson. “Hans Holger has been instrumental in expanding IFRA’s reach into new regions, thereby building bridges with fragrance stakeholders around the world. I am honored to succeed my accomplished colleague and to have the opportunity to further implement the IFRA strategy that he has helped reformulate”.
Mr Andersson will officially take up the role of Chairman as of 1 November 2024 for a renewable term of two years. His selection by the IFRA General Assembly occurred within the rules laid down by the IFRA bylaws and was unanimous.
“Paul has decades of experience within the fragrance industry, leading creative and development teams and business divisions in multiple roles in different parts of the world, culminating in his last position as President of Firmenich China [now dsm-firmenich]”, said Mr Gliewe. “This leadership experience will be essential in Paul’s aspiration to take IFRA to through its next phases, supported by the Board and the IFRA team around the world”.
“I am proud to have served on the IFRA Board, both as a member and as Chairman for over half a decade, during which time I guided IFRA’s broadening sustainability efforts, as well as its international expansion”, added Mr Gliewe. “I know Paul will continue to build on these achievements, and I am certain that he will be successful in these efforts”.
Mr Andersson’s senior executive experience in a major fragrance house present in several global regions will provide IFRA with the leadership it needs at this crucial juncture. Mr Andersson holds British and Swedish nationality, and resides in Geneva, Switzerland.
“I have a real passion for fragrances that has motivated my entire career, so I look forward to bringing my vision, expertise and network to bear in accelerating IFRA’s work, broadening recognition of the IFRA Standards and ensuring that IFRA’s mission to advocate for fragrance with integrity, transparency and scientific rigor is upheld”, concluded Mr Andersson.
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The International Fragrance Association, founded in 1973, represents the interests of the fragrance industry worldwide. IFRA comprises seven multinational Regular Members and 22 National Associations in four global regions representing hundreds of small and medium-sized fragrance ingredient manufacturers, as well as numerous supporting members in countries without their own National Association. Its mission is to promote the safe use of fragrance for everyone’s enjoyment.
Fragrances are a key platform technology used by consumer goods companies – for fine fragrances, personal care products, household care and more.
IFRA’s flagship safe use program, the IFRA Standards, applies safety management measures based on scientific assessment and the evaluations of an independent Expert Panel. The program is at the heart of the IFRA Code of Practice, which applies to all IFRA members globally, including members of IFRA’s national associations. The Code also requires members to abide by local, national and international regulation, and to apply good manufacturing practices.
About Hans Holger Gliewe
Hans Holger is the Chairman of the IFRA Board. He took up the role on 1 April 2020.
A German national, Mr Gliewe has worked in the fragrance and flavor industries for forty years. He first joined Haarmann & Reimer GmbH, which later became part of Symrise, in 1980.
After holding several regional and global management positions he was appointed as a member of Symrise’s Global Executive Boards in 2009 as President of the Flavor & Nutrition Division. He later became Chief Sustainability Officer, based in São Paulo, Brazil.
Mr Gliewe was Chairman of the International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) from 2014 to 2016. His tenure as Chairman of the IFRA Board will end of 31 October 2024.
About Paul Andersson
Paul Andersson is the incoming Chairman of the IFRA Board. His tenure will begin on 1 November 2024.
A British and Swedish national, Mr Andersson has worked in the fragrance industry for four decades. Launching his career in sales in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, Mr Andersson later held global Business Unit roles in Switzerland with Firmenich, before also leading fragrance development in Southeast Asia for the company, based out of Singapore.
Mr Andersson’s wide-ranging career culminated in his becoming President of Firmenich China in 2019, a position he held until 2023.
Motivated by a genuine love for fragrances, Mr Andersson resides in Switzerland and will serve IFRA around the world.
