The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has announced René Lammers, Ph.D., as its new executive vice president and chief research and innovation officer, effective October 1, 2025. Reporting directly to Stéphane de La Faverie, president and CEO, Lammers will play a pivotal role in advancing the company’s innovation strategy and scientific excellence on a global scale.
Driving Innovation & Advancing Sustainability
As chief research and innovation officer, Lammers will lead The Estée Lauder Companies’ global research and innovation efforts, overseeing product and clinical innovation, regulatory strategy and upstream technologies. His mission will focus on elevating performance, quality, safety and sustainability across the company’s portfolio, which includes brands like Estée Lauder, MAC, Clinique and more. Lammers is set to advance collaborations with academic and scientific institutions, as well as strategic partners in biotechnology and longevity science, driving disruptive innovations that align with consumer trends and sustainability goals.
Under his leadership, the company aims to deliver fast-to-market, on-trend product innovations in high-demand categories, while reinforcing its commitment to scientific excellence and consumer trust. Lammers will oversee global research and innovation centers and create science-backed platforms that enhance the beauty experience for diverse consumers worldwide.
A Proven Leader in Global Innovation
Lammers brings nearly 30 years of experience to this role. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and chief science officer at PepsiCo, where he led a global R&D team of more than 3,000.
Before PepsiCo, Lammers held key leadership roles at Unilever, where he developed technologies across personal care and home care categories. His efforts included establishing innovation hubs in Europe and Asia.
Lammers holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Delft University of Technology and a master’s degree from Leiden University. He actively contributes to the industry, serving on the board of the New York Hall of Science and as a commissioner for the National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers, an initiative of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness.
“René is an exceptional and innovative leader whose deep scientific expertise, global perspective, and passion for cutting-edge product development will be instrumental as we transform our approach to research and innovation to more fully align with our focus on consumer centricity,” said de La Faverie. “Creating transformative innovation is integral to our strategic vision of Beauty Reimagined, and with René’s leadership, we are elevating our capabilities to deliver even more breakthrough new products as well as on-trend innovation more quickly across prestige price tiers. With this appointment, I am excited that my Executive Team is now complete and positioned to lead the company into its next chapter of growth and transformation.”
