I like to say IFF has something for everyone because it’s true! At the beginning of my career my internship provided me with a glimpse into the working world and the many avenues available to a young professional. Thirty years later it’s one of the reasons I am so passionate about continuing this practice at IFF. Not only are these programs good for a company but they are also a tried-and-true method for the emerging workforce to learn about a company and apply their academic experience to pragmatic working applications.

“I had one of the best internships” shared Megane Noubissi Tabouguia an IFF research analyst who first started with IFF as an R&D intern in 2022. “I loved that we got to work on important projects and could see what other interns were working on as well. Our managers encouraged us to network with people from around the business. That gave us exposure to better understand our own interests and insight into how the Company operates as a whole. I’m happy this is my first job out of college and I can’t wait for others to join me as an intern-to-hire.”

Megane’s recap of her internship experience is a checklist of what all internships should include:

• An opportunity for hands-on learning from projects that matter
• A welcoming company culture that’s based on values similar to your own
• A pathway for a permanent position either at the company you’re interning at or a similar company
• Access to industry leaders and the ability to network

When I sat down with Megane and others from this year’s intern and co-op cohort it was clear they all had such an enriching experience at IFF.  The experience they gained was invaluable to augmenting their education and we hope to welcome more of them back to IFF full time when they complete their studies.

Deb Borg

Chief Human Resources DEI & Communications Officer

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Internships, and programs like them, are some of those rites of passage in business which most of us have experienced at one time or another, whether as an intern or apprentice ourselves or as a mentor or supervisor to an up-and-coming young professional. These opportunities are often touted for the value they bring to the students. And, in the words of one of our interns, it affords them hands-on experience that helps translate the world of theory they learn in school into tangible business practices.

What all leaders know, however, is the value these young people bring to an organization is just as impactful. Now, more than ever, companies need emerging talent for their fresh perspectives, innovative concepts and to provide a spotlight on diverse, knowledgeable individuals who will soon join our employee communities.

Now that some internships are ending while others are going strong or even ramping up, one question I often get when talking to these emerging leaders is ‘what advice do you have for me?’ For that question I have two main answers. First, make sure your personal mission and values match those of any company you join. Having your values align will help to ensure you remain passionate about coming to work every day. And second, I take a page from the aspirations of my IFF colleagues: aim high. Wherever you start, look to the top of the career ladder and set your sights there. Always aspire to do great things, it’s the changemakers who make all the difference.
Frank

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About the role of the SDM:

• Inspires and guides perfumers in the creation of fragrances
• Balances creative innovation with strategy
• Connects market and consumer needs to find new opportunities

For those considering a role in Fragrance as a career path we invite you to meet some of our people. Though their backgrounds are diverse and they work at different IFF Creative Centers around the world they all share their passion for their profession in this conversation.

Below are some highlights from our video:

Francoise grew up in the Paris area and in La Réunion island. She studied Economics and Management in Versailles. She attended ISIPCA for her Master’s degree and has an Advanced Graduate diploma from ESSEC Business School. With over fifteen years of experience in the fragrance industry she found the parameters of the SDM role suited her personality and interests. She is now a Senior SDM Manager in Fine Fragrance getting ready to move to a new assignment in New York city. Here’s what she shared:

“Sometimes it is difficult to explain the job…but I can tell you that when wake up every morning I’m really happy to come to the office. For me working in fine fragrance I have the feeling that of being a midwife of perfumery because I am helping perfumers to give birth to their creations – and it’s amazing that I’m part of a creative team behind beautiful scents that we can smell every day. Behind each scent there is a Scent Design Manager!”

“Always be curious open minded passionate with perfume and determined! The job of Scent Design Manager is a magical profession which the two sides of our brain: the right brain for creativity open-mindedness olfaction and the left brain for the project management part organization and strategy to build brands identities.”

Sumukha grew up in Bengaluru India and has since lived in France the Netherlands and will be moving to Singapore soon. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from BMS College of Engineering Bengaluru India he was drawn to the fragrance industry and discovered the Master of Scent Design and Creation program at ISIPCA. His first job in the fragrance industry was an internship at IFF Mumbai as part of his program at ISIPCA.

“I graduated from the first class of the IFF sponsored ISIPCA Masters. I had a great three years at ISIPCA in France. I moved from India to France to pursue my dream to work in the world of fragrance. During my time at ISIPCA I learned so much from great teachers and learned more about the fragrance industry. I had great opportunity to work as an intern at two IFF creative centers the Netherlands and Singapore. For me personally the SDM role is a great fit. I love that you’re sort of a linchpin in the whole ecosystem. Anytime someone picks up a product from the shelves in a supermarket or wherever they shop and they smell the product and are happy with how that product smells and performs – it makes me really happy that I had some part to play in that product.”

“I get many questions from applicants and students from ISIPCA who always ask “Why SDM?”. I enjoy encouraging them to become an SDM. It’s a very dynamic role. You wear multiple hats you’re a project manager you’re a scent designer you’re sometimes a lead for many projects. It’s a job where you interact a lot so you’re in constant interaction with multiple teams sometimes with the customer sales and technical teams. All of this apart from the designing of scents that you do with the perfumer. The thing I like the most is the combination of managing the projects while still designing using your creativity.”

“Being an SDM has been an inspiring experience for me. It lets me be creative and allows me to explore a broad olfactive spectrum of products from different which has helped me understand tastes and preferences of people from across the world. It’s a dynamic role that has helped me build olfactive expertise teamwork decisive decision making resilience and technical grasp over the design of fragrances. It is an exciting experience and has helped me grow significantly on the professional front.”

San grew up in a small city called Sungai Petani in the north of Malaysia. His diploma is in Applied Food Science and Nutrition and then he further studied in Business Management. He joined IFF as a lab technician but quickly envisioned himself in the role of Scent Design Manager. He was intrigued by the diversity of the role and the mixture of technical creativity and business aspect. He attended IFF’s Scent Design school in the Netherlands. Following an assignment in Singapore he moved to Brazil for his current Senior SDM role.

“When we talk to perfumers our role is kind of a translator. We can explore creativity and also there’s also the discipline of project management so that we can always be on to deliver the product…so I agree that this role is really a mixture of skills.”

“Go after for your dream & passion and work on it!!! Be proud of our role where we could be part of the team to create a better experience for the people for the planet and for a better world”.

Marina is from Sao Paola Brazil and has lived in Vancouver and Madrid. She has been at IFF for over 9 years and is now a Senior SDM at IFF’s office in Sao Paulo Brazil on consumer Fragrance. Her degree is from Pontificia Universida de Catolica de Sao Paolo and has an MBA from FIAP in Brazil.

“Every product at the end of the day has a huge story behind it that only SDM and Perfumers know about. A part that is gives me a lot of satisfaction is when we create a scent for the product – and then when you see the product on the shelf I feel like wow my product is on the shelf and everyone is using it. When you hear “Ah I love this product” (especially from someone like a friend I think it is so amazing I was the one that had a big role in working with a perfumer to create that product – and that satisfaction is wonderful for me.”

“It’s amazing how we create partnerships especially with perfumers. We develop relationships based on trust. It’s a daily work that you need to keep doing and you need to keep pushing them and pushing yourself to understand. It’s a really a vibrant alive environment.”

Fiona was born in Berlin. Her dad was in the army so she lived in over 20 different locations including England Germany and Gibraltar. She’s always loved history and is particularly fascinated with culture of the senses – taste and smell. Her first job at IFF was as an assistant in Sales and Marketing. She is now based at IFF’s office in Neuilly France on Consumer Fragrances. In her current role of Scent Design Manager – Product Design Beauty Care she often runs workshop on creativity for the perfumers and SDM teams.

“It’s all very vague at the beginning and then you enter it and then it’s like entering a whole new brave new world. It’s a very unique role – it’s very magnificent especially if you are a curious person. I’ve always described it as being like an editor or a publisher. I’ve once heard it said we are like thoroughbred horse trainers.”

“In order to inspire others you have to inspire yourself and so in order to inspire yourself you have to go out in the world and find new ideas from different sources from all walks of life.”

“We are a global community but also we’re a global community of experts and I love that.”

Vishala was born in Trinidad and lived there until she moved to Florida as a young teenager. She studied biochemistry and taught high school before earning a dual degree – a Masters in Personal Care Science and an MBA. She is based at IFF’s Bell Works Creative Center in Holmdel NJ working on consumer fragrances.

“We’re probably one of the few roles within IFF where we’re in contact with every other role. We really are the glue that keeps all of these projects together because our hands are in all of the pots. My favorite thing is that we get to interact with everyone on an everyday basis – it’s never the same day twice.”

“You get to call your mom and say “Mom go look on the shelf!”

About our ISIPCA Masters Scent Design and Creation

IFF has partnered with ISIPCA the world’s premier fragrance school to offer the first and only accredited program of its kind. This highly selective Master’s program immerses students in the foundations and pioneering advances of the profession at a state-of-the-art campus in France the historic heart of perfumery culture. Graduates will be well prepared for careers as perfumers scent design managers technical perfumers marketing and sales executives and related roles in the fragrance industry.

The post Meet a Scent Design Manager appeared first on IFF.

As people across North America celebrate Black History Month and honor the accomplishments of Black or African Americans we are looking forward to continuing the conversation around Black Excellence beyond February and throughout our global reach.

Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day are both celebrated in March and to continue to recognize the immeasurable contributions of Black leaders we are taking this opportunity to highlight the achievements of Black women who are at the intersection of these identities – and where better to start then right in our own backyard with IFFers from around the world?

Successful Black women are often asked about the struggles they face as part of their professional journeys but today we’re providing a few of our IFF Illuminating Challengers a chance to share their inspirations and the aspirations that keep them going.  Here are some of our favorite responses!

Lucia Domingos Regional Legal Counsel Latin America:

“What inspires me is that diversity is in the DNA of our industry. When I look at our portfolio I feel proud of being part of an industry that has such an impact in people´s life. This notion gives me certainty that it is a matter of time until we increase Black representation and I want to be part of this process.”

Lucia holds a master’s degree from the University of Hamburg in Germany where she worked for 3 years as a Legal Counsel at a law firm. She has been the in-house counsel of large multinational companies for the last 15 years and joined IFF in 2018.

Naphtali van Langeveld HR Business Partner The Netherlands:

“As an HR professional I believe that companies and organizations can only thrive with highly driven and inspired people. But what sparks people’s passion and interest?

My curiosity in this area is mountain-high and dare I say endless. A quote by Maya Angelou comes to mind: “I come as one but I stand as ten thousand.” I feel the privilege and responsibility to explore the world to my fullest knowing that my grandmothers and great-grandmothers didn’t have the same opportunities.

I hope the life experiences and stories I gather will inspire my little nieces to look beyond what they can perceive in the present moment – and by doing so I

believe they will have an easier time of finding their place in the world.”
Naphtali has been an HR professional for the past 8 years and joined IFF as an HR Business Partner in January of 2020. As a seasoned coach and mentor she is deeply passionate about supporting young professionals to be the best they can be.

Lauren Martey Senior Research Chef North America:

“I have been an anomaly throughout my profession… More often than not I have been “the only” or “one of a few.” Along my journey I have learned to acknowledge and understand my discomfort and sometimes recognize that it was others who were uncomfortable with me and underestimated my potential.

But whenever things are getting tough I think of my (Ghanaian) parents and how they migrated to a new country that they had never visited before. Together they managed to create a home in the U.S. make good friends raise college educated children all without extended family support systems. I know how tough it was for them and know that it is because of them that I had a better start and future.

Don’t worry when people tell you that you “can’t.” Listen to what they are really saying and decide if it has merit. If it doesn’t listen to your own voice or seek out people who believe in you. Use every situation as motivation to rise to the occasion. And every so often take a risk. It is okay to be fearful to do something new – just don’t let it be the only reason you miss a perfectly good opportunity.”

Lauren studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York. Over the course of her career she has worked as a line chef and managed restaurants. She is a Senior Research Chef at IFF.

Choose to Challenge

For International Women’s Day and throughout March we will join in the call to action to further the journey to gender equality embodied in the theme of IWD’21: “Choose to Challenge.”

We welcome you to join our conversation on social media tag us at IFF along with the #ChooseToChallenge hashtag.

Join us! Explore a career at IFF where you can bring your whole self to work every day.

The post A Spotlight on Excellence: At The Intersection of Creativity Science And Identity appeared first on IFF.

We consider it our responsibility to foster a culture of inclusivity in our workplaces where everyone can be their authentic selves. Our communities – from our customers to our investors and employees in the IFF family – depend on our dedication to upholding socially responsible practices that are equal and equitable across the board. Encouraged by these recent events we will continue to do what is right for our communities in the United States and worldwide.

Bayard Rustin an African American pacifist and openly gay civil rights legend who helped engineer the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (which led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act) once said: “We are all one and if we don’t know it we will learn it the hard way.”

For us inclusivity in the workplace for the full LGBTIQ+ spectrum of identities is a necessity. Our commitments have also been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign with a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” award for the last two years.

In 2019 IFF was the first in our industry to join the community of businesses that are signatories of the UN Standards of Conduct for Business in their fight against discrimination for lesbian gay bisexual transgender and intersex people. We also support the Business Coalition for the Equality Act which fights for the passage of the Equality Act prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and beyond.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion within our ranks and in our practices and we are passionate about ensuing everyone is represented and respected.

Learn more about the Equality Act here and visit us at iff.com

The post IFF Lauds U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Employment Rights for LGBTI+ Workers appeared first on IFF.

One out of just 680 major U.S. businesses to earn this top mark IFF has established a track record of fostering inclusion in its working environment. In the Index HRC rated the Company’s dedication to non-discrimination policies employment benefits organizational competency & accountability around LGBTQ diversity and inclusion public commitment to LGBTQ equality and responsible citizenship. By scoring 100 in each category IFF is realizing its mission of doing better for people and planet.

“Our work in creating an inclusive and supportive space for all employees is a testament to our belief in our people and our community” said Nicolas Mirzayantz Divisional CEO Scent. “We are all excited that as a company we have achieved this recognition by doing what’s right. Advancing diversity and inclusion is core to our values and we look forward to continuing this journey until equality for all is achieved across the board.”

Key to its global strategy in establishing organizational parity IFF has established a number of colleague communities dedicated to celebrating diversity within our employee base. With the launch of PRIDE@IFF last year the Company created an open dialogue for LGBTQ employees and allies to celebrate successes in diversity and maximize opportunities for greater inclusion on a local and global scale.

In 2019 IFF was also recognized as a Noteworthy Company on DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity list and received a “Best CEO for Diversity” Award from Comparably.

PRIDE@IFF is one of four IFF colleague communities along with Women@IFF and SERVE@IFF a veteran’s resource group and AccessAbilities@IFF an advocacy and resource group for those living with disabilities. More colleague communities are expected to form in 2020.

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The day marked the completion of a 3-year course of study for these students. In 2016 we formed a unique partnership with ISIPCA to create the MSc Scent Design and Creation.

An Uncommon Partnership

We wanted to challenge and tranform the way perfumers and scent design managers of the future were educated and knew ISIPCA would be a great partner.

Valery Claude our VP of Creation Design and Innovation Global Fragrance said “We know being successful in the fragrance industry today requires a broad range of interpersonal skills and market knowledge that complements a strong technical olfactive foundation. The marketplace is more global than ever – and that people from all over the world can learn from each other and together develop collaborations and relationships that have important new and meaningful results. We have great respect for ISIPCA’s reputation and expertise and know that together we will build a unique partnership that will educate and prepare students for success in careers in the world of fragrance”.

The Ceremony

The results of the partnership were in full view. After remarks by Cécile Montier Ecalle Director of ISIPCA and Segolene Prot our VP of HR Global Fragrance – new graduates Andrew Everett Shin Oba Jihee Han and Eva Niezgodzki all shared reminisces of their three years at ISIPCA.

They recounted the challenges of learning new materials (800!) accords and schema but also the joys of demonstrating what they learned during their internships at IFF. They remembered the magical moment their first year when they visited Grasse in February to experience mimosa in bloom and then again this past May to participate in the rose harvest.

They spoke about their frustration and pride when they developed their first accords and the floral bouquet they each crafted from accords their classmates had created. They remembered the many IFF Insight sessions that helped them to know and understand the many career paths within the fragrance industry.

The Future of Perfumery

IFF senior perfumers Ricardo Moya and Soraia Da Cost Silva in their dual roles as ISIPCA alumni and student mentors shared stories about their own time at ISIPCA and their pride in these new graduates. The inaugural class drew students from all over the world – China Japan Korean India France Italy and US. The new graduates are ready to start their careers –some as perfumer and Scent Design trainees others exploring a range of opportunities.

Andrew Everett who is now a perfumer trainee at our New York headquarters comments: “Attending ISIPCA meant dropping everything to move overseas and committing three years to a subject I knew very little about. Yet somehow — at the same time — it was the most obvious choice.  That’s how it was for me and that’s how it was for my entire class which felt more like a family than anything else. Even though I graduated I still haven’t processed that it’s over.  I’m still half-waiting for ISIPCA to write and say we have another year left to go. But the great thing about creating a family is that family never really goes away.”

Sofia Gavrill perfumer trainee at our Hamburg Germany site had this to say about her ISIPCA experience: “995 days full of meaningful experiences I’ve gained thanks to my exposure to unique people coming from other 7 different cultures. On October 3 2016 the only thing in common I had with them was the same “crazy” passion for Perfumery. On June 24 2019 I realized that there are so many things in common I have had with them; the greatest thing in common is the memories I’ve built with them during these three years.”

Sumukha Kashyap Scent Design trainee also in Hamburg shared; “”My experience at in the Scent Design and Creation program was one of my most valuable experiences. I loved learning from my multicultural classmates teachers and mentors at IFF. The program has helped me take important steps to achieve my goals. Graduation was special to my classmates and me as we begin our journey into the fragrance industry that we love.”

Shinichiro Oba perfumer trainee now based at IFF Singapore adds; “I can’t imagine that I took an interview and an Olfactive Intelligence Test at IFF New York three years ago and now I have graduated from this program with my passionate international classmates now. My two internship mentors came over to the graduation from the Netherlands and they kindly shared their advice on the importance of believing in myself. I also learned from my experience at ISIPCA that understanding and accepting the difference is one of the keys in the international environment and this insight will help me to work all over the world in the future.”

We know that each of these new graduates in their own way will make the world even more beautifully fragrant as they put their education and talents to use.

***

We love to hear your thoughts on the future of perfumery #futureperfumer – tell us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Start here for a career in fragrance – apply now for the Master of Science Program in Scent Design and Creation program.

The post Meet our first master of scent design graduating class appeared first on IFF.

Shin says her favorite is the Magnolida flower “My favorite is the Magnolia flower and Magnolia oil. To me it is happiness. I’m not sure why but I think of pure happiness.”

For Ashley she loves mimosa “I love mimosa – especially after our class trip to Grasse. It was the trip of my dreams getting to be around mimosa in its early bloom. We walked through mountains that were covered in mimosa – being surrounded by the smell made the flower very personal for me.”

“For me its orange flower absolute particularly the one that derives from Tunisia. It’s an LMR Naturals product that has such an involving sensual deep feeling.” Stated Renan “I’ve seen a lot of perfumes and I’ve read a few interviews discussing it – however there’s nothing to describe orange flower absolute unless you’re using it. You need to feel it too understand it’s influence. It truly opens a new horizon.”

Andrew explains why his favorite LMR ingredient is narcissus “Narcissus absolute is cultivated in a part of France near Grasse where nothing exists… within this area you’ll find this beautiful flower. It’s a stunning earthy complex ingredient that I believe is under used in perfumery. I would the challenge of creating a modern scent with this ingredient.”

Does these comments resonate with raw materials that you love?

We love to hear your thoughts #futureperfumer – tell us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Start here for a career in fragrance – apply now for the 2019 Master’s of Science Program in Scent Design and Creation.

The post What is your favorite raw material? appeared first on IFF.

Watch the video see what else they shared with us.

Ashley: To me a perfumer is the person creating fragrances so I feel like it’s very much putting you into the fragrance your likes your dislikes what moves you – kind of putting your scent memories in a bottle.

George: I know I just love smells. So it being a perfumer means that I get to experience life in a way which not a lot of people get to experience.

Emmanuelle: For me being a perfumer is making a sentence with pictures a person a life situation that can translate exactly in the in the soul of something …as a smell.

Athena: For me being a perfumer is like you’re doing a magic show because it allows you to create a story use your imagination or inspiration to trigger other people’s emotions and to build a dream.

Renan: I really dream about moving the world in some way and I think that creating perfumes would be just that – and that would make me feel very happy.

What do you think it would mean to be a perfumer?

We love to hear your thoughts #futureperfumer – tell us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Start here for a career in fragrance – apply now for the 2018 Master of Science Program in Scent Design and Creation.

The post Future Perfumers – What does it mean to be a perfumer? appeared first on IFF.