Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman of the Estée Lauder Companies, passed away on June 14. He was 92.
Lauder was the oldest son of Estée Lauder, and was instrumental in developing the company and helping transform it from a single brand into a multi-brand business and key player in the prestige beauty market.
Lauder was a major figure in the beauty industry for decades, and many of his sales and marketing programs left their mark on the industry.
Lauder was born in 1933 in New York City, the oldest son of Estée and Joseph H. Lauder, the founders of The Estée Lauder Companies.
He formally joined Estée Lauder in 1958, and worked at the company for more than six decades.
“Throughout his life, my father worked tirelessly to build and transform the beauty industry, pioneering many of the innovations, trends, and best practices that are foundational to the industry today,” said William P. Lauder, son and Chair, Board of Directors, The Estée Lauder Companies. “He was the most charitable man I have ever known, believing that art and education belonged to everyone, and championing the fight against diseases such as Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. Above all, my father was a man who practiced kindness with everyone he met. His impact was enormous.”
Lauder created the company’s first research and development laboratory, brought in professional management, and was the driving force behind The Estée Lauder Companies’ international expansion, helping to increase the company’s sales and profits exponentially.
He was also known as a brand builder. He led the launch of many brands, including Aramis, Clinique, and Lab Series.
Until his death, he remained involved in the company’s acquisition strategy, including the purchases of Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone London, La Mer and MAC.
The Estée Lauder Companies, President and CEO Stéphane de La Faverie said: “Leonard Lauder was beloved by many and will be missed tremendously. To our employees at The Estée Lauder Companies, he was an inspiration and a champion. To the industry, he was an icon and pioneer, earning respect worldwide.”
In a press release, the company stated that perhaps the role that Leonard Lauder was most proud of was the unofficial one as The Estée Lauder Companies’ “chief teaching officer.” It added that Lauder believed that a company’s wealth is its people, that he was focused on mentoring, that he believed strongly in the importance of recognition and gratitude and was a tireless advocate for employees.
Lauder was known for his involvement in medical research, education, art, foreign policy and philanthropy.
He was a long-time supporter of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) and, in 2013, pledged his 78-piece collection of Cubist art to the museum in the largest single philanthropic gift in the Met’s history.
He also served as the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Chairman Emeritus and was a trustee from 1977 to 2011.
Lauder was also a long-time advocate of cancer research and served as Honorary Chairman of the board of directors at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the organization his late-wife, Evelyn H. Lauder, founded in 1993. He also co-founded and led the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation with his brother, Ronald S. Lauder.
Lauder also worked to promote dialogue among governments, political and non-governmental organizations, and the public and private sectors. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Chairman Emeritus and a lifetime trustee on the board of directors at the Aspen Institute. He served on the Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations under President Ronald Reagan from 1983–1987.
Lauder was married to Evelyn H. Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President at The Estée Lauder Companies and the Founder of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, from 1959 until she passed away in 2011. In 2015, Lauder married Judy Glickman Lauder, a philanthropist and photographer.