Sino-French partnership, Legacy Beauty Group (LBG), serves as the exclusive distributor of various beauty brand merchandise. Overseeing operations is Laurent Cibot.

Hey there! Welcome aboard! You've got Laurent Cibot, the CEO of Legacy Beauty Group (LBG) based in Shanghai, right here. Let's dive deep into the world of beauty and perfume—you've heard this guy is killing it in that fast-growing market. He generously agreed to spill the beans about his humble beginnings, LBG's business model, and what the group is after. Let's get started!

Laurent Cibot: Hey there! Thanks for having me. Well, I'm French and have been living in China for almost 2 decades. I've been working in the beauty industry for many years, but my focus has been on skin care, and now I'm all about perfume.

LBG is a beauty brand management company that supports internationalizing content-driven C-beauty brands, and assists international beauty brands to grow in the China market. With our major shareholder being a perfumery products manufacturer, our model is fully integrated, giving us access to great resources. We also work on innovative products for brands in various sectors, such as fashion, jewelry, lifestyle, or local beauty brands focusing on perfume.

What Legacy Beauty Group is aiming for?

Laurent Cibot: We're aiming to become a group of inspiring beauty brands. Our flagship brand, BARRIO, was our first star, and we managed to take it global. Many local brands aspire to reach that level on the global market, but they often lack the necessary keys. That's where we come in. We can help them find those keys!

The China market of perfume is booming now, right?

Laurent Cibot: Absolutely! We're very interested in this exciting market, hence our hunt for inspiring perfume brands abroad to import to China. We might even consider investing—minority or majority stake—in niche perfume brands from Europe, particularly France.

Talking about BARRIO, what made you pick it up compared to other C-beauty brands?

Laurent Cibot: It's an excellent question. When I received BARRIO's brand book, I immediately recognized it was a fantastic concept. BARRIO is a small-format perfume brand with fragrances created by perfumers from the top fragrance companies. It's about sophisticated nomadism, offering a line of small, affordable perfumes that are refillable. Customers can swap scents based on their mood, and the brand is also popular on the gifting market.

It seems like ADOPT has a similar disruptive concept, no?

Laurent Cibot: Yes, there are similarities, but there's a significant difference. BARRIO is more than just perfumes; it's a beauty accessory, too. The small bottles insert in a vegan leather tube with a color code for each fragrance. That makes BARRIO a great gift with excellent value.

What was the path that led you to where you are today?

Laurent Cibot: It's a long story! I come from a traditional French family, with connections to China dating back to the 18th century. As a child, I was captivated by China. I moved to Beijing to study when I was in business school and decided to stay in China to work. I began my career at the commercial bureau of the French Embassy in Beijing, and I started my first company to do import-export operations. I eventually focused on the healthcare FMCG industry, and over the years, I worked mostly with skincare brands. Recently, I switched to perfume, as it's a booming market in China.

You seem to be closely tied to your culture, too...

Laurent Cibot: Yes, of course! French people have a strong passion for perfume, and as you might guess, I've always been interested in perfume myself. So, it's a dream come true to do what I love!

What were the biggest challenges or mistakes you've had to overcome during your journey as a leader?

Laurent Cibot: I can't remember specific challenges or mistakes, but I'm certain that many successful people have faced tests along the way. It's essential to learn from those experiences and move forward.

Could you give us one word that describes you best?

Laurent Cibot: Driven

How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?

Laurent Cibot: In two years, I see LBG as a major player in the perfume market, with a portfolio of inspiring brands. However, we will continue to create tailor-made products for brands aiming to gain position in the perfume industry. I envision LBG as being somewhere between COTY and INTERPARFUMS—big, but still boutique-like to maintain our agility and deliver great results.

Anything else you'd like to say to our viewers?

Laurent Cibot: If you're a distributor of perfume brands in your country and you're searching for great brands to import, reach out to us! Connect with Laurent Cibot on LinkedIn.

Laurent Cibot, the CEO of Legacy Beauty Group (LBG), discussed his journey and the group's business model, aiming to become a group of inspiring beauty brands, with a focus on perfume.
LBG supports internationalizing content-driven C-beauty brands and assists international beauty brands to grow in the China market, utilizing resources from their perfumery products manufacturer majority shareholder.
For personal growth and self-development enthusiasts, Legacy Beauty Group works on innovative products for brands in various sectors, such as fashion, jewelry, lifestyle, and local beauty brands focusing on perfume.
In2 years, Laurent Cibot envisions LBG as a major player in the perfume market, with a portfolio of inspiring brands, still maintaining its agility to deliver great results, positioning itself somewhere between COTY and INTERPARFUMS.
If you're a distributor of perfume brands in your country and looking for great brands to import, connect with Laurent Cibot on LinkedIn for potential opportunities.

Sino-French partnership, Legacy Beauty Group (LBG), serves as the exclusive distributor of various beauty brand merchandise. Overseeing operations is Laurent Cibot.