Armand Petitjean
Armand Petitjean (Saint-Loup-sur-Semouse, May 30, 1884 – September 28, 1969) was a French entrepreneur and founder of the cosmetics company Lancôme, today owned by L'Oréal.
Biography
Born into a family of distillers, he began his business career in South America, creating an export company with his two brothers in Santiago, Chile, which lasted until 1925. A soldier during World War I, the Secretary General of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Philippe Berthelot, allowed him to leave the trenches.
A collaborator of perfumer François Coty, after Coty's death he founded Lancôme. The company experienced rapid success but began facing difficulties in the late 1950s. In 1961, Armand Petitjean handed over the company to his son Armand Marcel, who sold it in 1964 to L'Oréal.[1]
Awards
In 1956, he was awarded the Grande Médaille d'Honneur of the City of Paris.
References
- ↑ Lancôme, c'était son « trésor », L'Est Républicain, December 26, 2010