Talking to… ANA PONS TALENS

The new Germaine de Capuccini general director tells Kezia Parkins about her leadership goals and taking the brand in a new direction as it celebrates its 60th anniversary

Ana Pons Talens’s appointment to general director of Spanish spa and skincare brand Germaine de Capuccini may have been born of tragedy, but she has certainly risen to the challenge. Germaine de Capuccini (GDC) distributes its skincare to more than 80 countries and has six subsidiaries, including one in the UK. It had been run by Miguel Ángel López as chief executive until he suddenly passed away in 2023. “It was very sad. Miguel and I were very close and had a great relationship. His death had a big impact on our lives and of course the company,” shared Pons Talens as I sat down with her in Madrid, where the brand celebrated its 60th anniversary in June.

Pons Talens was quickly promoted from her previous role as GDC’s corporate director, where she managed HR and finance. This had always been her bread and butter – she began her career in the auditing sector before a decade working for big firms such as KPMG.

Shareholders asked Pons Talens to step in and manage the company in the immediate aftermath of López’s passing. With a strategy already in motion, she had demonstrated her capabilities and was asked to stay on as general director in December 2023. “Our shareholders are financial people and my background allows me to understand their needs very well. I am very analytical and I think that’s important for this role. I am trying to instill this analytical mindset into all of my teams,” she says.

The right team

For Pons Talens, the people that make up a company are the most important part and her first objective was to put the right people in the right roles. “You need to have confidence in your team to trust they will follow the strategy and vision. I always say it’s impossible to transform without an incentive and it’s important for your team to believe in your brand and know where you are going,” she says.

GDC was founded in 1964 by Carmen Vidal, and Pons Talens says she has “enormous pride” to work in a company founded by a woman with such passion and vision. “Now, to have this challenge and opportunity to continue her story and celebrate this anniversary is a wonderful experience for me,” she adds.

New product development is high on Pons Talens’s agenda and GDC has renovated its entire spa line. The new ranges take inspiration from all corners of the earth that are rich in natural raw materials, starting with South America and Asia. Next year will see new lines inspired by South Africa and Australia.

“Wellness is experiencing a transformation after Covid-19. Now people need an experience that’s very different than before. Previously, people would look for something luxurious like a gold treatment, whereas now they are looking for holistic treatments and for rituals with a more spiritual experience,” says Pons Talens.

Sustainability and wellness

“In all the reports and studies of the beauty market right now we are seeing that the consumer needs to have more practical products, but they also need more than just the topline benefits – they need to obtain a feeling and emotional connection which can be offered from colour, scent and texture.”

Pons Talens says there will also be a big focus on sustainability. “We work very hard to obtain raw materials that are very natural so a lot come from small towns,” she explains. “For this new line it is important for us to be as sustainable as possible.”

In addition to product development, Pons Talens says her three main objectives in her new role are to elevate the essence and professionalism of the brand, grow it internationally and cement GDC as a first choice for the consumer.

Increasing brand awareness and recognition among consumers is key to that, but Pons Talens says she wants to do so in a way that will lead more consumers to try professional treatments. “GDC was born focusing on the aesthetician. Now, my goal is to reach the end consumer because it’s important that they know who we are and understand what we can offer,” she explains.

“We have a lot of presence in salons and spas and now we are starting to retail online but we want to be in professional retail spaces because we don’t want to lose our professional essence,” she adds, explaining that the brand plans to be very selective as to where it makes its products available, prioritising spaces where skin therapists are on hand to advise clients correctly.

“I want to be in retail channels that can also give the path of professional – a space like Harrods, for example, where professionals can help diagnose skin conditions and recommend the best products.”

Online presence

For Pons Talens, opening up to more online and retail spaces will not only help to boost awareness and sales but also extend the reach of GDC’s extensive education offering. “We have good raw materials, suppliers and laboratories. We have a good manufacturing process with a lot of regulations and, most importantly, we have an education team that is able to explain the benefits of skincare,” she says. “This is very valuable in a time where the consumer is so confused, such as the rise in young people using retinol. Many other brands don’t take on the responsibility of educating the end consumer and that what makes us stand out.”

Pons Talens says the growth strategy will be mainly focused on online retail, but targeted in a way that demonstrates the value of professional treatments and advice to younger consumers who don’t yet know the brand or have regular treatments.

“It will help to have access to all generations. Generation Z needs to have information online so we need to meet them there but also to encourage them to go into professional beauty spaces to get the treatment they require from devices, for example, which we are investing a lot into.”

GDC currently has 11 devices and plans to add more this year, including a skin scanner to help diagnose skin conditions and a multi-technology device, which for now Pons Talens is keeping under her hat.

In another move to protect professional channels while expanding into online retail, Pons Talens says that pricing will be carefully considered. “When you want to be in different channels, you need to respect price,” she says. “We don’t want to upset spas and salons and we want to protect the brand and our core business, which is the professional area.”

Global focus

Pons Talens says that last year GDC closed on €44 million (£37.2m) and in five years, the plan is to “double revenues”. While the two biggest users of the brand are Europe and Latin America, the focus ahead will be on the UK, USA and Asia. “Wherever we are, it is my main objective to make sure GDC has brand continuity and is the same everywhere,” she adds. “We need to be five years ahead of other brands and understand the consumer. The key to celebrating another 60 years is to be practical and efficient with our launches and listen to what our buyers want. We listen a lot to our aestheticians but now we need to focus more on want the people experiencing our products need too.

“We need to work with the professional in how to improve their business, how to retail and manage teams so they have tools. We have a lot of responsibility to salons to educate on how they can grow their business by boosting value and experience for the client.”