Tomas Espinosa, Chief Market & Business Development Officer, Schwan Cosmetics

Premium Beauty News - You are 43 years old but as you take on these new responsibilities, you are not really a "newcomer" in the company!

Tomas Espinosa - Not really, you are right! I am of Mexican origin and, as such, I have worked for Schwan Cosmetics as Managing Director in my country for ten years. So, I know the company, its products and its assets. As you know, this Mexican base does not only produce make-up pencils that account for 50% of the activity, it is also specialized in cocreation development with mayor brands to bring their unique brand DNA with our expertise which is way more than pencils.

Premium Beauty News - Could you, first recall what makes the DNA, strength and therefore the philosophy of Schwan Cosmetics.

Tomas Espinosa - The DNA and the history of our company are punctuated by innovations. More than 90 years ago, we invented the cosmetics pencil and since then we are constantly thinking ahead. What is important for us is that, whether you are a fledging start-up or a well-established brand, , we develop, in close cooperation with you, custom solutions that are perfectly tailored to your target groups.

And it’s very important to us that current and future generations can consciously experience beauty. That’s why we create products that combine quality, aesthetics, and responsibility.

But what is just as important today is our desire to harvest from our expertise in formula and process and broaden our product offering by developing a real "eco-system" with partners, particularly in packaging. That allows us to ensure a real differentiation. Always with the same motto: "Desire, Performance, Quality, Safety"

Premium Beauty News - Could you give us an overview of your company and its position in the cosmetic market with you some figures?

Tomas Espinosa - It is easy! We have the trust of 700 brands in 70 Countries and more than half a billion women annually worldwide. We continue to develop region, brand, climate and skin specific textures- Eyeliner in China, eyeshadow in South Africa, lip gloss in Brazil…, we have the perfect solution for any demand. People from over 30 nationalities work for us. Together we have one mission: To create sustainable, innovative products that excite consumers all over the world. Worldwide there are about 3,000 dedicated employees working for us. And we have 9 production facilities around the globe to guarantee sustained production and short supply routes.

Premium Beauty News - In a few months’ time a new Schwan Cosmetics has emerged?

Tomas Espinosa - Yes! We can say that we are adapting ourselves to a world that is changing extremely quickly. Who could have predicted the sudden and impressive emergence of all these new brands? Who could have predicted the overwhelming influence of Social Media and of influencers? And, most of all, so quickly.

Still, the pencil remains and will remain an essential feature on the cosmetics market. Schwan Cosmetics allows to design a cosmetic line just the way the customer wants it, down to the finest details. Our 360° customizing-approach that zeros in on a brand’s individuality offers one-of-a-kind products, formulas, and packaging that are tailored to the needs of our customer.

But today, that’s no longer enough anymore. This is why, with the collaboration of partners, we also offer new" product solutions" that help the brands specific USP and, above all, other packaging solutions.

Premium Beauty News - The environment is also a challenge for your industry. How do you address it?

Tomas Espinosa - Well yes, it is a challenge but we also see a big opportunity for a new wave of disruptive innovation. We have started this journey some years ago and we now offer a full range of more sustainable products. To bring transparency to our effort, we are part of the Sustainable Packaging Initiative for CosmEtics - SPICE - which is an initiative that brings together organizations in the cosmetics industry to work towards a common goal: to collectively shape the future of sustainable packaging. SPICE develops and publishes business-oriented methodologies and data to support resilient decision-making to improve the environmental performance of the entire packaging value chain.

At Schwan Cosmetics, we have been working hard on this issue and will continue to do so in the future.