Discover: 

• Anne-Marie van der Lande
• Promo 2005 DESS MIPC
• Founder DTD Cosmetics Agency

What is your educational background?

I first studied Economics at the university of Groningen in the Netherlands.

At the end of this Master degree I wanted to get specialized into something I truly liked.
As a child I have always been interested in perfume. I collected fragrances and from a young age I was especially interested in beautiful fragrance brands and fragrance trends. That’s why I decided to study at ISIPCA for a second masters : the DESS MIPC program. This was the perfect bridge between economics, marketing and the world of fragrance and cosmetics.

I remember how happy I was when I have been admitted in this class of 26 students. However, being the only non-french student in this class was quite a challenge at that time. However, as the courses where so inspiring and as it was very motivating to be surrounded by ambitious students who all shared an interest in the fragrance industry, I truly enjoyed my studies at ISIPCA. And it turned out to be a super valuable experience for my further career.

What is your professional background after ISIPCA?

I worked for a short time in marketing at l’Oreal, but I quickly moved to Rituals Cosmetics in 2006. At Rituals I have experienced the most exciting journey I could ever have dreamed off. When I joined the company, Rituals was still a young start up. We were working in a very small team, and together with one other colleague, I was responsible for new product development and the entire assortment. As the company was small, I had the opportunity to work closely with the founders which was a great experience.

I stayed 14 years with Rituals and over the years I have touched all product categories, from fragrance to body care, skin care, home care and men care. Having been responsible for so many innovations I can call myself the ‘mother’ of many of Ritual’s current product categories.

Last year I started DTD Cosmetics Agency. With this agency and we help entrepreneurs and brands creating their own fragrances or cosmetics product ranges.

How did you get the idea for this project and how did you set it up?

First of all, creating successful products is something I truly like.

Secondly, it is my second nature to see opportunities for brands and new products.  My head is always full of inspiration in which I translate trends and the ‘zeitgeist’ into new products and opportunities.

The growing market and the shift of the traditional brands to new, independent brands made me realize there are so many opportunities for me to combine my expertise in fragrance, my 15 years of experience in product development and my network.

What has been the greatest challenge you have overcome in your entrepreneurial adventure? What barriers did you encounter and how did you overcome them? What were the key moments that contributed to the success of this project?

I think the most important barrier has been to get out of my comfort zone. It felt very scary at first, but now I am enjoying the ride. As an entrepreneur I love to challenge myself everytime again to take that uncomfortable step to the next level.

The mantra of my company is ‘Dare to dream’. Every new project we start by envisioning the dream. Once the big dream is clear, we always find a way to realize it and go for a successful launch.

What advice would you give to successfully manage the creation of a business ?

Dare to dream and go for success !

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