Laurence Le Noac’h has worked in the perfume industry in various roles for some 20 years, including financial controlling, marketing, sales administration and purchasing. Now working in the Purchasing department of LVMH Fragrance Brands, she finds her diversified experience to be a strong asset.
“LVMH Fragrance Brands cultivates differences. Unlike many companies, people aren’t limited to a certain area based only on their education’s major.
In 2002, after earning a degree in accounting, and a first experience as Export Financial Controller at LVMH Fragrance Brands, the open mindset of the Maisons regarding career development allowed me to take on different responsibilities in a wide variety of departments: marketing and communications for international markets, sales administration in France and then controlling. For eight years I built up a network and became totally conversant with the values, codes and decision process of the Maison.
In 2010 I was eager to contribute more concretely to the development of LVMH Fragrance Brands by taking a position closer to the product, and I became Head of Indirect Purchases. My biggest challenge – and my biggest success so far – is to have created a department that did not previously exist. My past experience with LVMH Fragrance Brands definitely played a decisive role. They gave me a certain legitimacy and facilitated the establishment of my position. in addition, my appetite for challenges, my curiosity, organizational acumen, agility and leadership skills, enabled me to effectively engage with new environments and cross-functional teams. Because purchasing is about much more than simply negotiating prices; it requires a strategic vision of the different categories – indirect, counters, POSM, etc. – in order to prioritize their areas of development. Each new request is addressed in project mode, with a specifier, a buyer and one or more suppliers tasked with executing a brief with a defined schedule and deliverables.
My Purchasing team currently counts eight people. They work with both internal partners –Marketing, HR, Finance, Production in France and Merchandisers internationally – as well as externally with a significant number of suppliers. In this very diversified environment my guide is always striving for excellence. This is a daily priority, and you need to learn for both successes and setbacks and be passionate about your work.”