Olivier Baussan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olivier Baussan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 July 1952 France |
| Occupations | Cosmetics creator and businessman, company founder and CEO |
| Awards | Knight of the Order of Agriculture (2009) |
Olivier Baussan (born 18 July 1952) is a French cosmetics businessman and the founder of L'Occitane en Provence, Oliviers & Co and Première Pression Provence.
Early life
Baussan completed his degree in literature at the Université d'Aix-en-Provence.[1]
Career
At the age of 23 he began to focus on creating cosmetic products from the flora of Provence.[2]
The acquisition of an old soap factory that had been on the decline, in partnership with a chemist friend, Yves Millou, launched the growth of the small business. The group was created in 1976. In 1981 he opened his first store in Volx in Haute Provence. In 1992, he sold the company to Austrian businessman Reinold Geiger but retained a 5% stake.[3]
Through l’Occitane en Provence he launched a brand of premium olive oil, Oliviers & Co, in 1996.[4] Most of the oils sold through the company are produced by families or small cooperatives, all of whom must follow Baussan’s exacting methods of cultivation and production.[5]
In July 2006, he opened the eco-museum of l’Olivier in Volx and, two years later, he opened the Première Pression Provence to commemorate the producers of olive oil in Provence.
