Cover Jeroen Temmerman has been CEO of GHD since 2018 (Photo: courtesy of GHD Hair)
Jeroen Temmerman has been CEO of GHD since 2018 (Photo: courtesy of GHD Hair)
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In our 10 Minutes With... Jeroen Temmerman, the CEO of Good Hair Day tells us about his journey from L’Oreal to GHD, and how to make sure a business strategy works
In an industry as competitive as the beauty industry, in which new brands, trends, products and innovations are cropping up seemingly every week, it takes a lot to stay relevant and also ahead of the game. That challenge is perhaps even more complicated when a brand comes with a long history, which can be perceived as being outdated if it isn’t actively responding to the ever-evolving market—like GHD is in the world of hair-styling.
That is one of the many challenges Jeroen Temmerman took on in April 2018 when he became CEO of GHD, which released its latest innovation earlier this year—the GHD Duet Style, a hair straightener that is engineered to dry and style hair simultaneously. On top of that, not even his 24-plus years of experience within the beauty industry could have provided him with a manual for leading the company through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Temmerman was recently in Hong Kong and sat down with Tatler to talk about the joys and pitfalls that come with being CEO, what it takes to be a good leader, and not-to-do lists.
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How did your journey within the beauty industry begin?
When I studied my MBA I took an elective, which was marketing, [which led to me a competition that brought me to L'Oreal's attention and it] offered me a job with L’Oreal in the Netherlands. I went for it. [The company] is very international, so after that I travelled a little bit. I’ve been to Paris, Stockholm, Mexico City, and now I’m based in London with my family.
Why did you choose to come to Hong Kong?
Here we have our commercial and operations teams, and the office that is leading the growth into Asia—Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan. So they are, on a day-to-day basis, connecting the dots between Cambridge [in the UK, where GHD’s research and development labs are], local markets, our production facilities… and they did an amazing job during the supply chain crisis to make sure we did have chips and we could produce products to sustain the company. I always come here to inspire myself on premium retail.
The beauty industry has changed so much, especially with social media and celebrity and influencer culture. What keeps you interested in being a part of it?
Beauty is always fascinating, but beyond that, what’s kept me interested is that beauty is also business. And I was fortunate that I was working for a brand that is global—it always invited me to go on my next challenge.
Above Jeroen Temmerman has been in the beauty industry for more than 24 years (Photo: courtesy of GHD Hair)
Jeroen Temmerman has been in the beauty industry for more than 24 years (Photo: courtesy of GHD Hair)
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What brings you most joy and pride as a leader, and what are the challenges?
I think what makes me most proud as a leader is the energy my teams are putting into the business. Because big brands do not exist without passionate people in day-to-day jobs.
The big challenge is to have a clear strategy, which to me is also to clarify the not-to-do list—not only the to-do list. The biggest challenge we have at GHD is to tell each other, “This is what we are not going to do”—because opportunities are everywhere, but we want focus, perfect execution, and to go step by step.
Another challenge is, because we grew so fast, [we] needed to attract talent with the right capabilities—and who are masters of their capabilities—into the organisation. And that is a big responsibility. One other challenge is, it goes without saying—what with Covid, the supply chain crisis and so on—to keep a positive mindset.
Clarify the not-to-do list—not only the to-do list
What is an easy trap for a leader to fall into?
[Not understanding that a] strategy has to be there to stay. Strategies can evolve every year, with one degree, but it’s there to define the to-do and not-to-do lists. And the trap is to go [after] too many opportunities at the same time, and then the brand and teams cannot follow anymore.
This can be a pitfall for brands like GHD, but also for leaders. You have to guide people to an objective and a purpose—I’m a strong believer in purpose as well—with a strategy, and don’t change that too often.
What are some of the biggest changes and disruptors you’ve seen in your 20 years in the beauty industry?
One is thinking consumer centric as an organisation, and putting everything behind [understanding] what the consumer does, thinks, wants and doesn't want. Consumers are so well educated because of the content they can get, and they research online, so you need [to plan for that] online to offline behaviour. Now we are 50 per cent online and 50 per cent offline.
In terms of disruptors, obviously Covid. That was a stress test! Luckily, we were very agile and adjusted our purpose to our online business, and prepared to bounce back to our offline business, so we’ve come out stronger.
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How has GHD evolved and innovated to stay competitive with newer brands?
First of all, I strongly believe you have to stay close to your original DNA.
GHD was born through demonstration and education; professionals from salons all around the world have contributed to our journey. We stay loyal to our DNA and professionals are at the heart of GHD. Not only through the salons we are in—we are in more than 50,000 salons around the world—but also in our development and R&D in Cambridge.
We work together very closely with consumers and hairdressers to develop long-term projects. [Everything] is driven by consumers and professionals. GHD stands for “good hair day”, and all our efforts and R&D budget, which we doubled in the last four years and will double again in the next four years, is based on the science of hair.
We are an extremely focused organisation, we drive that capability to know everything about hair and we only do that. Nothing else. I strongly believe that the companies that will win in the future are the companies that are extremely focused, because they will excel at everything they do.
What are the top three qualities needed in a good leader?
One of the most important things is trust—the trust you give to your team—because trust is the biggest risk you take as a leader. And I strongly believe in passion. What I can give is energy and passion when I work with my teams. Lastly, listening to what people have to tell you. It can be another pitfall to not take the time to listen and understand what’s going on.
Heidi Yeung was the Digital Editor at Tatler Hong Kong. Previously, she was a digital production editor at South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's leading English-language newspaper, and relied on cat memes to get through heavy news days.
