Breaking Barriers: Founder Susanne Kaufmann and CEO Kerry Evans Share Their Journey

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day, founder Susanne Kaufmann and CEO Kerry Evans sat down to discuss what it means to lead as women in the business world; the barriers they have overcome, the strong women who have, and continue to inspire them, and how, as inspirational women themselves, they have supported others throughout their careers.

Susanne and Kerry, as two businesswomen, what qualities do you believe are essential for success?

Susanne: In my 30 years as an entrepreneur, I have learned that self-confidence is crucial. Trust yourself and believe in your abilities.

Kerry: I believe it’s women’s time to shine; we have this inherent resilience and perseverance to build complete and fulfilling lives both personally and professionally.

Susanne: Yes, and resilience is key. There are so many ‘nos’ along the way, but my advice is, do not accept them, keep following your dreams.

Kerry: Susanne, as a founder, you’ve inspired so many women to follow their dreams and to never give up.

What piece of advice would you give your younger selves?

Susanne: Whatever happens, keep on going, moving, pushing forward.

Kerry: Don’t be discouraged by people who do not believe in you and always ask yourself: out in the crowd?

How have other women supported you along the way?

Susanne: I grew up with two very strong women; my grandmother and my mother. They were both entrepreneurs who managed our family’s hotel. I saw them leading their teams with strength and determination, so, when it was my turn to take over, that kind of leadership only felt natural.

Kerry: In my career, I have had many great female mentors. Upon reflection, many of these women pushed me to seize new opportunities and to truly believe in myself. Sometimes, it’s other people who believe in you more than you do in yourself that propels you to do more and be more.

Could you share what you've learned about leadership and the challenges you've faced?

Susanne: One of the biggest challenges I have faced was in 2005, when Hotel Post Bezau flooded. For a moment, I considered giving up, but then I realised how important it was to save the hotel, for the sake of my team and the local community.

Kerry: Facing difficult times and adversity enables you to grow and thrive. The ingredients for being successful in business include having a great work ethic, an insatiable curiosity, a ‘challenger mindset’ and a ‘can do’ attitude.

Describe your leadership style.

Susanne: I believe in leading by delegating and treating people with respect. I really like to see every member of my team use their personal skills to the fullest.

Kerry: Exactly. Successful people do what they love and capitalise on their natural strengths, so I try to seek out what people are good at, what energises them, and give them more of that.

You have both been in the business of beauty for over 20 years. What does it mean to create skincare for the needs of modern women (and everyone else)?

Susanne: We strive to offer effective skincare, responsibly produced, with respect for people. We are transparent and keep innovating to find better solutions, better ingredients, better packaging.

What is your must-have desert island product?

Susanne: The Rejuvenating Eye Cream is a real hero product that keeps my eyes looking fresh and alert.

Kerry: I love the Nourishing Cream for deep hydration and of course the iconic Body Butter, delivering soothing and deeply moisturising benefits for the whole body.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Driving Inclusion’. How do you inspire inclusion in your professional and personal life?

Susanne: It is not about where someone comes from. I’ve been working with people from different nationalities, backgrounds, and abilities for many years; we live in a diverse world.

Kerry: At Susanne Kaufmann, everyone’s point of view matters. We embrace inclusion as part of our values.

Whom are you celebrating this International Women’s Day?

Kerry: Susanne Kaufmann. She’s an incredibly inspiring woman and I celebrate her personally and professionally.

Susanne: That’s very kind, Kerry. I am celebrating my 18-year-old daughter and her generation.

How do you make space to support up-and-coming voices that deserve to be heard?

Kerry: Young people are more connected to nature and the world than we ever were and are driving change more aggressively than we are. We are learning from the youth every day and support reverse mentorship, facilitating exchange and mutual learning between young people and more mature leaders.