In this eighth episode of Voices of Audacity, I had the privilege of welcoming Sylvie Loday, co-founder and CEO of Ex Nihilo, the French retail unicorn.
In 13 years, she has built a distinctive perfume house from scratch that now generates more than €100 million in retail sales.
In a highly codified world dominated by giants, she has established a bold olfactory signature and a radically different value proposition.
A true ‘David versus Goliath’ story, where creativity, artistic rigour and French excellence become the keys to winning new ground.
In this episode, Sylvie speaks candidly about:
- How the project began and the milestones in its growth
- Her vision of niche perfumery and how it is evolving
- Her role as CEO in support of artists and creativity
- How to stand out in B2C and B2B against major groups
- The challenges and opportunities facing a fast-growing independent house
- The shock of Covid
- Her setbacks, comebacks… and strategic decisions to optimise customer acquisition costs
- Her deep conviction that audacity is the key to success
An inspiring leader who is reinventing the way we experience and buy perfume.
