Page 50 - IAADFS Summit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

Essence Corp.’s full leadership team. From left: Liliana Fuentes, Executive Director- Victoria’s Secret & Bath and Body Works; VP-Sales
Guillaume Bona; Gabi Medeiros Humbles, Executive Director- Marketing; VP-Sales Antoine Bona; VP-Administration & Finance, Laetitia Bona
Piedra, Vice President Patricia Bona, President Jean Jacques Bona.
Essence Corp.: How to survive – and prosper – over 35 years in business

Miami-based beauty distribution VP-Administration & Finance Laetitia Panama, and expanded its activities to the
company Essence Corp. has made a lasting Bona Piedra and VP-Sales Guillaume U.S. and Canada duty free markets.
and indelible impression on its home town Bona, along with Gabi Medeiros Humbles, In 1988, Jean-Jacques and Patricia
and the travel retail industry throughout Executive Director of Marketing, joined the moved to Miami and founded today’s
the Americas over the past 35 years. From company and have recently stepped into Essence Corp. The new company focused
its business success to its charitable and senior management positons. They have on distribution activity.
community involvement, the family-owned added depth to the managerial team which The company itself has been evolving
company demonstrates that it is possible is still led by President Jean Jacques and from its original distribution base.
to be successful and a good citizen at the Vice President Patricia Bona, as well as Jean-Jacques Bona notes: “In 2004,
same time. bringing in new talents and experiences. we established a sister company in Miami
TMI had the opportunity to meet with in partnership with Jean Francois Blanc to
the extended Essence Corp. management A look back handle our own logistics, which was called
team to discuss how the company views its Essence Corp.’s roots actually go B&L Corp. (Beauty & Logistics.) This
many decades in business, why they have back nearly 70 years. Guillo & Bona, a company is still operating today.”
been successful and how they view the sales agency exporting luxury brands to As its business continued to strengthen
future. the Caribbean and Central America, was in Latin America, the Essence Corp.
Despite the challenges from the founded in Paris in January, 1954 by Jean owners also founded Panabel S.A. in 2016,
pandemic over the past few years, the Jacques’ father Jacques Bona, and his in partnership with Matthieu Castillon,
company managed not only to hold on partner Maurice Guillo. to handle local market distribution in
to most of its business, but to grow its The second generation, Jean-Jacques Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. And
brands and market share. It recognized and Philippe Bona, joined the Parisian just this year, they established a new
new opportunities and strengthened its company in 1974, decided to only focus subsidiary, Essence International, to handle
operations – all while retaining as much of on perfumes and cosmetics and expanded the growing business on the Uruguayan
its staff as possible. its representation to South America. Eight borders.
Since 2002, Essence Corp.’s third years later, in 1982, Jean-Jacques and his
generation – VP-Sales Antoine Bona, wife, Patricia, opened a G&B branch in

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