Reinold Geiger

Early Life

Reinold Geiger was born on July 10, 1947, in Dornbirn, Austria. His father was a carpenter. Geiger graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich with a degree in engineering in 1969, and earned an MBA from INSEAD in 1976.

Rise to Success

Geiger began his career by founding several small companies. In 1978, he established AMS Packaging Company in Paris, specializing in cosmetics packaging. He later sold this company at a profit. His most notable achievement is his involvement with L'Occitane en Provence, where he played a pivotal role in transforming it into a global cosmetics group. He invested in L'Occitane in 1994, and took over the management, expanding it globally. The company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in May 2010. Geiger stepped down as CEO in 2021 but remained chairman and executive director. In 2024, Geiger took L'Occitane private.

Key Business Strategies

Geiger's key strategies included expanding L'Occitane's global presence, particularly in Asia. He focused on offering high-quality products and strategic acquisitions. Geiger's leadership saw the company grow to over 3,000 locations in 90 countries. He also created the L'Occitane Foundation, demonstrating a commitment to philanthropy.

Philanthropy

Geiger created the L'Occitane Foundation in 2006 with the goal of funding quality optometry services for 10 million people by 2020.