The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) convened its global supplier network in New York City on May 28, 2025, for its annual Supplier Summit, themed "Reimagine Our Future Together." The event brought together executive leadership, brand and value chain decision-makers, and key supply partners for a day of strategic alignment, knowledge-sharing, and recognition.
The summit opened with remarks from Quentin Roach, ELC's Chief Procurement Officer, who emphasized the critical role of suppliers in the company’s transformation journey.
"Partnership is the engine of our mutual success," Roach said, setting the tone for a day focused on trust, transparency, and performance.
President and CEO Stéphane de La Faverie shared insights on ELC’s "Beauty Reimagined" strategy, highlighting the company’s commitment to disruptive innovation, speed-to-market, and uncompromising quality.
"Together, we have an incredible opportunity to build a more profitable and innovative future for us all," de La Faverie stated.
Other senior leaders—Jane Hertzmark Hudis (Chief Brand Officer), Roberto Canevari (Chief Value Chain Officer), and Berenice Vettore (Chief Quality Officer)—outlined the importance of supplier collaboration in advancing product innovation, operational excellence, and brand performance.
In recognition of outstanding contributions, ELC presented awards to suppliers who demonstrated excellence in six critical categories:
These honors reflect ELC’s focus on integrating sustainability, agility, and digital transformation across its supply chain.
Following the awards and networking luncheon, attendees participated in collaborative "Inspiration Sessions." These interactive discussions explored opportunities to enhance efficiency, accelerate innovation, and elevate consumer-centric strategies.
As ELC accelerates its transformation, it is placing renewed focus on supplier expectations. The company will increasingly rely on its global ecosystem of partners to deliver on its ambitions for sustainability, speed, and innovation. Key takeaways and strategic guidance from the summit will be distributed across the broader supplier network to reinforce alignment.
ELC is actively incorporating generative AI technologies to enhance both its supply chain operations and marketing strategies. At the 2025 dbAccess Global Consumer Conference, ELC highlighted the use of AI for real-time inventory forecasting and the deployment of digital twins across all manufacturing sites to optimize production modeling. Additionally, the company is leveraging AI platforms like ConsumerIQ and Trans Studio to monitor trends and tailor brand messaging for local markets.
In a separate initiative, ELC has partnered with Adobe to utilize Adobe Firefly's generative AI capabilities. This collaboration aims to streamline digital marketing content production, allowing for faster campaign executions and enabling creative teams to focus more on ideation and design.
ELC is undergoing a significant transformation by merging its supply chain and procurement organizations into a unified 'Value Chain' structure. This integration aims to enhance coordination and effectiveness across all functions, streamline operations, and improve responsiveness. The company is also focusing on initiatives like the Economic Inclusion Program and demand excellence programs to drive growth and operational efficiency
Microsoft's recognition at the Supplier Summit underscores the depth of its collaboration with ELC. Beyond being an award recipient, Microsoft has been instrumental in co-innovating with ELC, particularly in areas like AI integration and digital transformation.
