From €2.5bn to €16bn: How Sephora redefined beauty retail

From €2.5bn to €16bn: How Sephora redefined beauty retail

From Business Leader by Business Leader

May 19, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

Chris de Lapuente discusses his journey scaling Sephora from €2.5bn to €16bn and shares insights on leadership and adaptability.

Chris de Lapuente, former Executive at LVMH and CEO of Sephora, played a pivotal role in scaling the business from €2.5bn to €16bn during his 13 years at the helm of the beauty retailer. He first met host Sir Richard Harpin at Procter and Gamble and shares reflections on their training which led to many successful business leaders. Chris describes how he grew Sephora, expanded globally and learned to be adaptable, as well as the mistakes that define his journey. Also, what is it like to work with Europe’s richest man and CEO of LVMH, Bernard Arnault? Topics covered: Procter and Gamble Work-Life balance Transformation Expansion Retail brands and experience High-performing teams LVMH and Bernard Arnault Tips for Scaling businesses Business Leader is a membership community for ambitious CEOs and founders of mid-sized UK companies, designed to help them grow with purpose through strategic support, peer-to-peer learning, expert coaching, and high-impact events. Sign up for our Business Leader newsletter here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Sir Richard Harpin

Guest: Chris de Lapuente

Topics covered

  • Procter and Gamble
  • Work-Life balance
  • Transformation
  • Expansion
  • Retail brands and experience
  • High-performing teams
  • Tips for Scaling businesses

Keywords

  • Sephora
  • LVMH
  • business growth
  • leadership
  • retail
  • expansion
  • high-performing teams
  • Bernard Arnault
  • Chris de Lapuente

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: LVMH, Sephora, Procter and Gamble

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