Alexandra Papazian accepts general manager role with Shiseido Americas’ brand Laura Mercier

12-Jan-2017 - Last updated on 12-Jan-2017 at 14:48 GMT

Alexandra Papazian, incoming General Manager of the Laura Mercier brand (image courtesy of Shiseido)

Papazian will join Shiseido in the coming months to help oversee growth of the company’s global prestige business by leading the recently acquired Laura Mercier color cosmetics and personal care brand.

Beyond conventional brand management responsibilities, Alexandra Papazian will lead additional marketing initiatives, digital outreach, product development, and international expansion, according to the Shiseido press release announcing her appointment.

“I look forward to doing everything I can to help this iconic and much-loved brand continue to thrive and reach customers around the world,” Papazian tells the press, adding that “Shiseido Americas and Laura Mercier are forging an exciting new path in the cosmetics industry, and I am thrilled to join them.”

New brand

Laura Mercier became a Shiseido Americas brand when the company acquired the holding company Gurwitch Products in July of 2016 (just over one month after the deal was first announced and Cosmetics Design reported on it).

At the time Marc Rey, president and CEO of Shiseido Americas explained the value of the acquisition, saying, “Laura Mercier [is] highly complementary to Shiseido’s portfolio of prestige brands, and we see significant opportunity to further strengthen our combined position in the fast-growing prestige makeup market and around the world.”

New leadership

Papazian brings brand management and marketing expertise to Shiseido, refined from years of experience with L’Oréal luxury brands like Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, and Shu Uemura. She’s credited with having elevated Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb to the number three spot among women’s fragrances.

Papazian will assume her new general manager duties on March 1 of this year. At which time, her predecessor Nancy Bernardini, whose formal title is general manager of Gurwitch Products, will step down. “I am grateful for Nancy’s partnership in managing the transition and for her tremendous leadership in guiding the Laura Mercier and RéVive businesses over the past four years,” says Rey.

Confident about the brand’s future, Rey remarks, “Alexandra is a proven leader in the beauty business, with an outstanding track record, and she will be a tremendous asset to Laura Mercier as the brand continues to accelerate.”