Where regulation, retail and culture meet.

I was born in Ghana and grew up in Germany and beauty in my world was never just product. It was ritual, it was memory, it was identity. Most often I would never find the right product for my skin and for my hair, so I chose whatever was available at dm or Rossmann.

That feeling never left me. Neither did the gap between the beauty I knew and the beauty I saw on the shelves around me.

For around fifteen years I built my career in the German-speaking markets, holding Director-level roles across DACH at companies including Takara Belmont and Hologic. That work taught me how Germany, Austria and Switzerland really buy. Relationships come first. Evidence matters more than enthusiasm. Consistency builds trust, and nothing succeeds without proper localisation.

Along the way I kept seeing the same thing. Brands from Africa and the diaspora with remarkable formulations, heritage ingredients and fiercely loyal communities, yet no clear route into European retail. Not because the products weren't ready, but because no one was translating them for the market.