At a ceremony in Paris last night, the CEW France presented its Achiever Awards to executives whose work had major impact on the beauty industry over the past 40 years. This special edition of the Achiever Awards marked the 40th anniversary of the CEW France.
As a member of the jury, BW Confidential’s Editor in Chief Oonagh Phillips presented an Achiever Award to Francis Kurkdjian and Marc Chaya, Co-founders of Maison Francis Kurkdjian. The pair were recognized for their vision to put the perfumer at the front and center of the house they built, for their influence on, and contribution to the fragrance industry, and their work to recognize intellectual property rights for perfumers.
“Francis and Marc have combined creative excellence with commercial success. Together, in 2009, they launched Maison Francis Kurkdjian, a French fragrance house built around a creator rather than a marketing brief, and which has achieved a global scale without ever compromising its exacting standards,” Phillips commented.
On accepting the Award, Chaya underlined the need for legal protection of fragrance creations, a battle he continues to wage through the Olfactory Rights Alliance.
“I am just as determined now as I was when Francis and I, alongside others, set out to restore the status of the perfumer and demonstrate that creation could transform the world—that a fragrance like Baccarat Rouge 540 could capture the spirit of the times and become a cultural phenomenon,” Chaya said.
He added: “A dupe is made possible by the absence of intellectual property protection. Consider a renowned perfumer or a fragrance house with over 30 years of experience: they take risks and endure many failures before finally achieving success. They are men and women who engage in a creative process; yet, today, anyone can simply take what is inside the bottle. While almost every other aspect can be legally protected, the formula itself, the actual creation, cannot. Consequently, these ‘parasites’ end up selling what belongs to others at a much lower price.”
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of a special ‘Honor’ Achiever Award to Françoise Montenay, President of the CEW France, recognizing her commitment to the CEW France over the past 40 years.
The CEW France Achiever Award winners 2026 were:
Françoise Montenay — President of CEW France
Aliza Jabès — Founder of Nuxe
Vera Strubi — Former President of Thierry Mugler Parfums
Francis Kurkdjian & Marc Chaya — Co-founders of Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Adrien Geiger — L’Occitane en Provence
Virginie Courtin & Prisca Courtin — Clarins Managing Director & General Manager of Famille C Participations
Kelly Massol — Founder of Les Secrets de Loly
Jean-Yves Berthon — Founder of Greentech
Sabrina Herlory Rouget — CEO of Aroma-Zone
Florence Bernardin — Founder of Asia Cosme Lab
Juliette Lévy — Founder of Oh My Cream