20 INTERVIEW
a little bit different in terms of what’s of interest, from the type of fragrances to the types of formulations. There’s still lots of opportunity in the industry, and lots of change.
TP: Can you elaborate on the types of change? SB: Parts of the world, such as the Middle East, are becoming increasingly dominant in terms of consumers, using and purchasing. There’s a lot of wealth in that region. What we’re also seeing is
geopolitical change. We’re moving away from big, mass-market brands produced the same everywhere. I think protectionism will
feed down into how people consume products and what they expect. It may drive much greater localisation, partly because of supply chain risk, partly because of the sustainability angle, or whether consumers just want a greater connection to where a product comes from. We have seen lots of small, independent brands emerging over the last 15-20 years, and they are taking a significant foothold in many of the markets. Tiny indie brands can become huge players.
TP: Croda is widely seen as the one of the leading makers of personal care ingredients for skin care. Why do think that is, and how do you maintain that position? SB: It’s the things that really make Croda special. It’s our innovation, it’s our model of serving our customers - however large or small - directly my our own people. Most importantly, it is our
people and our culture. We have three core values: ‘Responsible, Innovative and Together’. They drive how we operate. It is a special culture. Everyone who joins Croda quickly goes, ‘Wow, this is something different’. That’s something we’ve got to protect, it’s very precious.
TP: Both you and Croda’s chief executive, Steve Foots CBE, have been there for 35 years as graduate trainees, of course. SB: We were on the same graduate scheme. I joined in August 1990 and he joined at the beginning of October 1990. So I’ve got a few weeks on him!
PERSONAL CARE August 2025
TP: I bet you remind Steve of that! SB: I also remind Steve that I’m three months younger than him!
TP: That’s very unusual, isn’t it? For two of the executive team in
such a large organisation to each have been there for 35 years. That must help foster the culture you mentioned. SB: Definitely. We’ve got a really good balance. We have a number of people on the executive
Croda through the decades
1925 Croda is founded at Rawcliffe Bridge in Yorkshire, England by entrepreneur George Crowe and chemist Henry Dawe (hence the Croda name) to make lanolin from wool grease
1933 Develops range of lanolin bases for use in cosmetic manufacture, including Cremba and Isocreme
1946 New generation of lanolin derivatives and surface active agents developed, including Polawax, which is still widely
used today in cosmetic preparations
1955 Acquires lease to Cowick Hall, which becomes the Croda group headquarters
1964 Croda becomes a public company
1976 Launches Crotein Q, the first in a long line of market-changing protein derivatives for hair care
1985 Becomes the first company to develop a wheat-based protein ingredient for personal care applications
1991 Buys German botanical and herbal extract specialist Novarom (later merged with Phybiotex, part of the Sederma group, to
form Crodarom); opens manufacturing base in Singapore
2006 Acquires Uniqema, a global manufacturer and supplier of oleochemicals, surfactants and functional ingredients,
from ICI for almost £1 billion
2012 Joins the FTSE 100 Index of the London Stock Exchange; Steve Foots appointed CEO
2025 Celebrates centenary; Steve Foots awarded CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in King’s
birthday honours
committee who are Croda lifers, but, because we’ve done so much acquisition, we’ve also got lots of new people with new ideas. That melting pot is what makes
Croda a success, and what will drive success for the next 100 years.
TP: What are your most memorable highs in the past 35 years? SB: My five years living in Singapore and being part of the fast expansion of Asia was a wonderful, exciting opportunity. It’s a real high. The lows relate to the geopolitical stuff. We had to close our Russia office in Moscow a couple of years ago and say goodbye to our Croda family there.
TP: What advice would you give to young chemistry graduates entering the personal care industry? SB: I would say that it’s a relatively small industry. You get to know people, and people move around quite a lot. There’s a feeling of belonging. Building relationships is really important. I would also say that it’s a
really exciting industry and there’s so much opportunity. Whether it’s a technical-based career, or in sales and marketing, or finance or the supply chain, or other elements of the business, there’s just so many opportunities. More than people may assume when thinking of beauty and cosmetics. You can work for a large
corporate business, or you can set up and start your own brand. It’s an industry where you can do whatever you want.
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