Beauty Innovation Days 2025

Deputy Dean, professor, and independent strategic advisor based in Tokyo, with extensive global executive experience in corporate strategies for digital transformation and business innovation.

Vice Dean and Faculty of Strategy, GLOBIS University Graduate School of Management, Tokyo, Japan, the largest business school in Japan, with 1,200 MBA students and a high level of satisfaction and corporate preference. Executive-in-Residence, professor of strategy and general management, and academic director of AI in Business programs at ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain. Former President of Global Supply Chain, Executive Officer of Roland DG Corporation Japan and former President and CEO of Roland DG EMEA. Member of the Board of Directors of the Japan Operations Management and Strategic Society. Member of the Japan Artificial Intelligence Society.

Recent Published books: Journey of the Future Enterprise (English, Spanish and Japanese editions, recommended by Mr. Taro Kono, Japanese Minister of Digitalization)

Samantha is Category Director of Beauty & Personal Care at Mintel. An accomplished researcher and analyst, Samantha has over 10 years’ experience producing engaging and insightful, data-led beauty and retail content, whilst also bringing research to life through media work, client collaborations and industry events. She is skilled at identifying emerging trends, changes in consumer behaviour and business opportunities.

With over seven years of experience in business research and consulting, Aishwarya specialises in delivering strategic insights to drive growth and innovation. Currently, she focuses on the beauty and consumer health industries in Western Europe, analysing market trends and consumer dynamics, with a particular interest in fragrances. Previously, she has advised clients on developing business strategies related to competition and geographic expansion.

A strategist with 20 years in biotech, specializing in clinical genetics and epigenetics, James in his role as the Chief Commercial Officer for EpiDisease launches tests utilizing the genetic and  epigenetic biomarkers discovered and developed by his R&D group to improve management of complex diseases.  translating cutting-edge research into practical solutions that enhance patient care.

James has built and led teams globally in specialist companies such as Orphan Europe, Biogen, Biomarin and successfully launched complex biologicals treatments for congenital diseases, driving revenue growth while challenging markets to re-think patient care by connecting with key stakeholders across cultures.

James is a scientific entrepreneur, combining his experience in the biotechnology industry with graduate and post-graduate degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics with an Executive MBA from the IE University in Madrid.

He is the Co-Founder of Covalo, the world’s largest platform for cosmetic ingredients, connecting 6,000+ brands with 1,200+ suppliers globally. Covalo’s database powers over 1 million searches annually across 145 countries.
His role provides him with unique insights into the cosmetics value chain and access to key players. Yann also leads Covalo’s AI strategy, collaborating with Swiss research institutions to develop the first AI-driven recommendation engine for sustainable alternatives.
Before Covalo, he gained experience at Monitor Deloitte and Clariant, focusing on digital, commercial, and growth strategies.

Silvia Martinez is Marketing manager Personal care in BASF for Spain & Maghreb with more than 20 years’ experience in both Product Management and Marketing of chemical ingredients mainly for Personal, Home care and Crop Care in Agriculture. She has Deep knowledge of the market with focus on the BtoB with a BtoC approach. She has a strong know-how of the internal value chain in the Performance Products sector acquired through intensive contact with different departments.

Lieve DECLERCQ holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). Her 25+ years of professional experience started within The Estée Lauder Companies, where she was Vice President of Basic Science Research and Advanced Technologies for Europe and Asia until 2017. In 2018 she founded the company Skin-Dlite to provide strategic consulting services to startups and early stage companies. Over the years she has built experience advising Senior management in R&D, product development and marketing on technology innovation strategies. Meanwhile she has kept a keen interest in expanding her scientific background. To date her research has been published in 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 50+ international patent applications. In June 2024, Dr Lieve joined PROYA as Chief Scientific Advisor for the Group and Vice President of the European Innovation Center, with a mission to infuse a European perspective into the product innovation process. Europe has a rich history of academic research and scientific excellence, as well as a deep appreciation for design, quality and craftsmanship. By integrating these values into the creative product development process at PROYA, we will empower the brands to reach new heights of quality and performance.

Victoria holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Barcelona (UB) and a Master’s in Cosmetics and Dermopharmacy from CESIF. She has 10 years of experience in hair color product development. She joins the Beauty Cluster group as an Innovation Specialist. She is responsible for organizing and managing the Beauty Innovation Days and other innovation events organized by the Beauty Cluster.