Tony Riechert and Chris Diienno Honored at the World Perfumery Congress

Pictured from left to right: Chris Diienno, Vince Kuczinski and Tony Riechert
Pictured from left to right: Chris Diienno, Vince Kuczinski and Tony Riechert

On the last day of the World Perfumery Congress (WPC), The American Society of Perfumers (ASP) honored Chris Diienno, perfumer and former president of the ASP, with the William Lambert Service Award and Tony Reichert, master perfumer, Firmenich with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Promoting Perfumery and Protecting Art 

After graduating from Rutgers College, Diienno began his career and studies in perfume by working in the R&D sector of personal care and fine fragrance. Since then, he has worked for companies such as Roure, Givaudan-Roure, Quest, Givaudan and drom. In addition, he served as the 60th president of the ASP, where he focused on the education, support and promotion of perfumery. Currently, he works as a senior perfumer consultant and runs MOCA Fragrances. 

“We’ve been talking about transparency and traceability {at this event}. We also need to make sure that we respect and respect the art and respect what we all do,” said Diienno during his acceptance speech. “To me, the truth and value of fragrance lie in the ability of perfumers to express their art.” 

A Life in Fragrance 

Shortly after Diienno, Firmenich presented the American Society of Perfumers’ Lifetime Achievement Award to Tony Riechert, master perfumer for Firmenich.

“I am honored to receive this incredible recognition and I sincerely thank the American Society of Perfumers for this precious tribute to my life’s work,” said Reichert. “Being a perfumer is the best job in the world, I feel extremely privileged to work every day with some of the best creators in the industry. I am particularly inspired by our younger perfumers, as I always learn as much from them, as they learn from me. They try things I would never think of, pushing the boundaries of our art.”

With a career in fragrance spanning over 40 years, he initially started work as a flavorist at the age of 19, before falling in love with perfumery. Prior to joining Firmenich, he received his perfumer training at Lautier Aromatics and worked for both PPL(Quest) and IFF. Then in 1995, he started working at Firmenich, where he is one of the twelve master perfumers. During his time at Firmenich, he championed new ingredients and technologies and has seen market success in the laundry softener and air care market.

“On behalf of Firmenich, I would like to express how proud I am, and what a privilege it is to count Tony among our iconic master perfumers. Tony’s creativity and commitment to the highest standards of craftsmanship is truly inspiring,” said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich. “Through his passion and dedication, he has shaped unique olfactive signatures for some of the world’s largest household brands, creating many go-to consumer favorites around the globe.”

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