"A Mentor & A Guide"

Lucy Primrose has the ability to anticipate business needs, pilot through complexity, and tackle any challenges with creative solutions. She has built a strong reputation globally across the organization and is solicited for vital strategic decisions. Lucy embraces change and has an exceptional ability to adapt to challenging environments and influence those around her. This and her desire to challenge the status quo have transformed the way L'Occitane en Provence does things.

Accountability is a strong trait of Lucys. Not only is she accountable for her actions, but she also holds her team and others around her accountable. A true team player, Lucy’s communication skills and collaborative management style motivate and inspire others to be their best self, thrive in their work, and execute with excellence. “I believe having a mentor is key to driving your success. I am honored to be a mentor to others, especially women and I am fortunate to have a female mentor myself,” says Lucy. “Staying connected and sharing connections is also key in creating a valuable support system for you and others. It is a way to share and bounce off ideas and also inspire and feel inspired. Investing in other women trying to establish themselves is rewarding and inspiring for everyone involved.”

Lucy believes it’s essential always to make yourself available, and a people-first approach is critical. For her, it is not about giving someone the answer, it’s about helping them to find a way forward and empowering them to work out what that is and what that looks like. Lucy’s approach to building strong leaders is by dedicating her time to coaching and developing her team. Setting stretch assignments for team members and providing consistent support means that team members are constantly growing their skill set.

Without waiting for the annual review, regular and consistent check-ins with team members surrounding business priorities, mean that Lucy knows what projects team members would like to work on, what they are most passionate about, and what they would like to achieve personally and professionally. The benefits to individuals and the organization speak for themselves; team members stay focused and motivated and thrive within their careers at L’Occitane. Sharing these successes and providing opportunities for visibility within the Leadership team ensure that team members feel valued and are recognized and rewarded for their excellent work.

Lucy also empowers her team to make decisions, which gives her team members ownership and encourages accountability. “You can learn a lot from reflecting on your decision-making, and you can become better at resolving problems,” she explains. “Early in my career, I often remained quiet and didn’t voice my opinion, particularly in a room full of executives. I had to make a conscious effort to speak up.” But then she realized that her views matter and she is there to add value. Hence, she strongly advises others to remain confident and not to be afraid to speak up, challenging the status quo.

With this mindset, Lucy has been taking the company to new heights. L’Occitane is a humble company with numerous amazing initiatives and achievements of the brand centered on people and the planet. “What resonates with me, is the simple touch of having Braille on our packaging to make our products more accessible, our eco-refill options, and our commitment to promoting women's independence in Burkina Faso,” elucidates Lucy. “I am proud to say that we are a leader in the beauty industry through our sustainability practices throughout every stage of the product lifecycle and across the entire supply chain.”

L’Occitane is a pioneer in natural skincare, and its Immortelle Divine range is the best-selling anti-aging face care range with an enormous following. Immortelle has long been known in Mediterranean traditions for its amazing regenerating properties. The founder, Olivier Baussan, discovered in 2001 that it had never been used in cosmetics before. “We work hand in hand with local producers in Corsica who harvest our Organic Immortelle, and this is where the powers of nature and science come together,” she says. “The essential oil is rich in active molecules, with unique anti-aging properties. Our scientists have spent over 20 years researching its exceptional anti-aging benefits, leading to 6 patents in France. Described by our customers as a ‘miracle in a jar’, there is no surprise that we sell one Divine Cream every 3 minutes around the world!” WL