“Sustainability is the key to a better future.”

With 26 years of experience in the beauty and salon industry, Aby George Philip recently assumed the role of Business Development Director India at the Davines Group. In an interview with Shriyal Sethumadhavan, he elaborates on his journey, biggest achievements, the Davinies vision, and what sustainability means to him. 

In India, how has the salon and hair industry evolved over the years? What would you highlight as important growth factors behind this evolution?

‘Beauty parlours and barber shops’, as they were known, existed for the longest times in India, but as an industry, they only started evolving around the year 2002. Initially, haircuts and skin care were the main services offered in salons though formal training in hairdressing was nil. Suppliers dealing in salon equipment and accessories were difficult to come by, and finding an architect specialising in salon designs too was a distant dream. Most of the products used in a salon were either sourced from abroad or bought through the wholesale channel. The Indian salon and hairdressing industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the last two decades.

The major role of developing the Indian salon industry was played by professional product manufacturers who took the initiative to educate the hairdressers, introduce latest hair trends, build more salon services such as colour, straightening, perming and other treatments. Hairstylists were encouraged to retail products from their salons, which became an avenue for additional revenue generation. Product manufacturers also put together a team and distribution network to service the salons pan-India. Architects were trained to design salon interiors, which resulted in creating salons of high standards. The chain salons brought in the corporate structures which were responsible for professionalising the industry. Not to forget some of the exceptional creative hairdressing talents that brought in lot of glamour by being a part of Bollywood, fashion shows and international hairdressing events.

Over the years, you have handled different profiles across sales team management, channel management, key accounts management, business development, merchandising, training, exports, marketing, and general management. Which has been the most challenging?

All of the above-mentioned profiles have been challenging but at the same time immensely satisfying. Each of these profiles has pulled me out of my safe zone to a stretch zone and many a times I have found myself in the panic zone. One conquers the challenges when you stretch yourselves and acquire new skills. The more you experience the stretch zone, the sooner it becomes the safe zone for you. Also depending on how well you manage the panic zone, the horizon of the overall safe zone increases. Any profile which involves building and managing a team is really challenging.

After your many years with L'Oréal, how does transitioning to a new role in Davines feel? And why did you choose Davines?

I spent more than half of my life at L'Oréal and I am happy I grew along with the organisation and managed different roles and responsibilities. It was an incredible journey and I got to work with some of the smartest and brightest minds in the industry, and I am fortunate to have built lifelong friendships with many.

Davines is a brand with a sense of purpose that truly puts emphasis on sustainable beauty. It is a “certified B Corp”, which is considered to be gold standard or crème de la crème of environmental and social certification. Companies that have achieved B Corp status have undergone the most rigorous examination of their behaviours and products in terms of the ingredients and formulations, the sourcing of raw materials, the packaging, usage of renewable energy and carbon neutral status. It is also about the relationship they have with their employees, the community and charity enterprises. These factors steered me towards Davines.

What is your vision for Davines in India? What is the kind of transformation that you foresee for the business?

Davines was launched in India in November 2018 and currently is available in 200 salons across the country. At Davines, we believe that by living in a balance with beauty and sustainability, what we call “sustainable beauty”, one can improve one’s life and the world around us. For us, sustainability has always been a question of responsibility towards ourselves, our customers, our partners, the environment, and future generations. To spread this message, we will focus on the salon channel and are in the process of setting up a team to widen our salon base across the country. We are also looking forward to creating many “B Corp certified” salons in the country in the near future.

Businesses that fail to incorporate sustainability into their strategy now are bound to face critical challenges as they move forward.

Over the last 26 years of being in business, what do you consider as your biggest achievements?

My first job posting was as a sales officer in the Mumbai suburbs way back in the 90’s. I am grateful to my mentors who instilled in me strong business fundamentals which paved the way for whatever success I had later on. I take pride in building performing teams with strong basics and I am happy to see many of my team members scaling heights in their careers. I am also proud to be a part of the team that built and developed the salon industry in India.

What does sustainability and being environment-friendly mean to you from a business point of view?

Sustainability is the key to a better future. More and more companies in their annual reports highlights their financial performance along with social and environmental performance for the year and provides an update on their business strategy, digital transformation, and sustainability agenda. I see this as a mindset shift from being “only profitable” to a “purpose driven” profitable organisation. Businesses that fail to incorporate sustainability into their strategy now are bound to face critical challenges as they move forward.

What are some of the challenges you are looking to overcome with regards to making sustainability a widely understood and practiced concept?

The key challenges will be to implement the knowledge and understanding of sustainability principles and practices among the beauty and wellness community in our country, through awareness, advocacy, and continuous education.