DAYSPA discusses business, tennis and more with the Frenchman.
“Worldly” doesn’t come close to describing Pierre-Yves Lorand. Although he was raised in France, Lorand was actually born in Burkina Faso (West Africa) to French parents who were teachers—his father specialized in history and literature; his mother, science and math. Nonetheless, a career in education wasn’t in the cards for the young man, who originally wanted to become a veterinarian.
Lorand can’t pinpoint exactly when he changed his career choice, but he recalls gradually developing an interest in sales and marketing, attending business school in Nantes, western France, and later completing various marketing and management training courses, many in the U.K. Back in France, he was hired as an office supplies salesman, and later segued into the high-tech aerospace industry. He became a sales manager and then vice president of a series of companies before he was on the move again, this time to Finland, where he worked for stainless-steel producer Outokumpu.
Still in the world of metals, in 2007, Lorand purchased a company that made bronze castings for art projects. “The organization was in difficulty when I bought it,” he explains. “I refurbished it, got it into good shape and then sold it.” Buoyed by the successful turnaround and keen to flex his makeover skills some more, Lorand set up his own consulting and marketing company in 2008. That’s how he came to be involved with Yon-Ka.
“It was initially a consulting opportunity,” he explains. “I met [Yon-Ka co-founder] Françoise Mühlethaler, who asked me to look at the company’s U.S. operation. It was a particularly challenging time [because of the recession].” Lorand’s insight evidently paid off: just a few months later, in 2011, Mühlethaler hired him as chief operating officer, a role he continues to hold.
These days, the Frenchman is fully immersed in Yon-Ka USA’s daily operations, with a focus on sales and marketing. The parent company celebrated 60 years in business in 2014, but has its sights on future achievements. “We’re already known by professionals in the U.S., so our main objective right now is to increase visibility to and brand recognition by consumers here,” Lorand explains. “We’ve started that process and will continue to develop it.”—Lesley McCave
What has been the defining moment of your career?
In general, it was my first international assignment, when I moved to Finland. To face such a multicultural environment was challenging but important to me. At Yon-Ka, it was meeting Françoise Mühlethaler. She’s such a character—a real visionary, a genius!
Do you have an advice for people entering the skincare world today?
Keep on top of things—especially when it comes to the competition. There are so many new products, technologies and ingredients coming onto the market. It’s very important to stay current with trends.
Describe some general differences between skin care in the U.S. and in Europe.
American consumers and professionals think about products’ immediate results. In Europe, people are more interested in the process, in the regimen. That’s one of the challenges in marketing: because Yon-Ka is such a natural brand, some clients may need a little more patience when using it—but they’ll get better results in the long term. It can be a challenge to explain that to customers in this country. Also, the use of devices is more widespread in the U.S. They’re not necessarily more advanced in terms of technology here, but they’re more commonly used.
What are Yon-Ka’s secrets to longevity in the industry?
Results without compromise. We’re very demanding, for example, with the quality of ingredients and standards of control. We have our own lab, whereas many other brands subcontract production. The other thing is our emphasis on education, which is at the core of Yon-Ka. We’re not trying to sell product, but rather advice and education. As a result, we have very loyal customers, which is rare in this industry. The company had never really exploited that aspect until I joined it. Marketing was never a real asset for Yon-Ka. Keeping people loyal is hard, and visibility is so important. To give you an example, I introduced the brand to my daughter, who’s 23. Now she and her friends are addicted to it!
How do you spend your spare time?
I like to travel. I really enjoy having some personal interaction [with different cultures], so I organize trips myself rather than go with a group. I once crossed the Sahara by camel! I also love tennis—playing it, but in particular watching it. My son is starting his career as a semi-professional! Reading is a passion too: I finish two or three books, mainly biographies, every week. I’m lucky in that I don’t need much sleep—three or four hours a night is enough for me.
Tell us your definition of happiness.
It’s something Gandhi said: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” I have this quote framed in my office. I don’t know if I’ve found happiness, but I always try to say what I do and do what I say. That was a value strongly held by my family, especially my grandfather. He said it’s very important to never lie to people: you’ll make a mistake and forget what you said!
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you need to have with you?
An Elvis Presley CD, some books (if I could only have one it would be Robinson Crusoe) and a bottle of champagne!
What do you miss most about France when you’re not there?
The wine and cheese! You can find most wines here, but it’s hard to get good cheese!
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
The human resource aspect. Managing different types of people. I like it, but it can be a little frustrating when you have to keep explaining things like the differences in the markets.
What’s on your bucket list?
I want to visit the Taj Mahal. I’ve been to India, and I even saw the monument from a distance, but it was a business trip so I didn’t have time to actually visit it!
