Sumit Bhasin, Senior Vice President, Global Fragrance Innovation, Product Development and R&D, represented The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) on the mainstage at the World Perfumery Congress 2024 in June in Geneva, Switzerland. Sumit, who leads end-to-end fragrance innovation efforts and perfume capability across the enterprise, joined Farah K. Ahmed, President and CEO, Fragrance Creators Association, and Cynthia Reichard, Executive Vice President, Arylessence, Inc., to discuss the fragrance industry’s current transformation and opportunities to enhance fragrance stewardship.

Together, the group shared their insights on emerging opportunities for fragrance, including exposing the wellbeing benefits of fragrance, tapping into the potential of using digital technologies for fragrance, and increasing consumer education and awareness of performance and safety. Sumit explained, “We continue to see a growing focus on wellness and a greater interest in the wellbeing and other beneficial contributions that fragrance can deliver across multiple product categories. Consumers are looking for fragrances that can improve their mood, boost their confidence, and help them self-care, and this presents a tremendous opportunity for our fragrance brands at ELC.”

The World Perfumery Congress is a bi-annual 3-day conference that brings fragrance leaders together to discuss key factors driving innovation in fragrance, including global trends across segments, regulatory updates, and how the latest strides in technology, with an emphasis on AI, are influencing the industry and perfumers’ creativity. This year’s theme was Fragrance Forward: Where Global Innovation & Creativity Meet.

ELC is continuing to focus on enhancing innovation and creativity in this transformative beauty category. Under Sumit’s leadership, ELC is establishing an Atelier in Paris to further accelerate the company’s strategic ambitions in luxury and prestige fragrances, enhance fragrance innovation and craftsmanship, and provide holistic support for ELC’s fragrance brand portfolio. He also serves on the Executive Board of The Fragrance Creators Association and as chair of the D&I council at The Fragrance Foundation.