Success doesn’t come without the help of others,” said Ruth Sutcliffe (senior director of international fragrance development, Coty), as she accepted Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce’s Annual Award at the Westmount Country Club in West Paterson, NJ. Sutcliffe addressed this year’s record-breaking annual dinner audience, which reportedly boasted more than 700 attendees. In her comments, Sutcliffe repeatedly discussed the importance of mentorship in her career: the myriad influences and inspirations she has received in her 25-year-plus career. “Success is about focus, perspective and perseverance,” she said. “I love this business.”
Sutcliffe highlighted one key lesson that she learned from one of her mentors: “If you have a big idea, a great idea, you have to write it down and follow through with it. We need to make sure we write those dreams down and live them out. When I get up every morning I know that I want to do the best that I can at my job, give 100-plus-percent, and when I go home I’m going to give that much to my family.”
Sutcliffe, chosen for her contributions to and leadership in the fragrance industry has held positions with Fritzsche, Dodge and Olcott, Creations Aromatiques, IFF and Clairol. Though her current job focuses on fine fragrance, Sutcliffe has amassed a broad perspective on all aspects of fragrance, fine to functional.
“I believe I’ve worked on every end-use possible,” she said in a recent interview, adding that her experiences have shaped what she values in a perfumer. “I really appreciate perfumers who can be very technical. The creative and artistic talents of perfumers are obviously very important, but those who can tackle technical issues in today’s competitive environment are crucial.”
