MAM
YFLO appoints Dr Payal Kanodia as chairperson for Delhi chapter
Mumbai: The Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO), Delhi, the women’s wing of FICCI, has appointed Dr Payal Kanodia as the new chairperson for the year 2024-25. Dr Payal Kanodia is a chairperson & trustee of M3M Foundation, and a promoter in M3M Group.
Popularly known as a ‘change-maker’ for her contribution to the society, Dr Kanodia believes in aligning with the government vision to achieve better reach and impact towards women empowerment. On her appointment as chairperson of YFLO, she said, “I am quite delighted to be elected as the Chairperson of YFLO – Delhi chapter, for the year 2024-25 and looking forward to working with the best of minds at YFLO. Every year, the Chairperson of YFLO introduces a new theme, and this year, being Chairperson of YFLO Delhi, I have chosen the theme as – ‘Unleash Mind, Body, Soul’. The theme would reflect on our collective journey towards self-discovery, growth and empowerment. The power and limitless possibilities that our soul, our bodies and our mind holds has always been inspiring.”
“I have always said that India is a country that has high potential to utilize and mobilize women force to achieve the distinction of a $10 trillion economy. There are about 16 million businesses owned by women that provide employment to about 30 million people. Over 10 million working women in India have set their priorities in excelling into corporate world at leadership roles. About 15-17000 Startups out of 90,000 Startups in India are led by women. In the Indian MSME sector, women-led businesses are more than 20 per cent and contribute around about 25 per cent of the labour force. Even the IMF estimates that equal participation of women in the workforce can increase India’s GDP by about 30 per cent. Even globally, women control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending, and that figure could climb as high as $28 trillion in the next five years. Women produce about 60 percent of the world’s goods and services and are also the largest buyers and investors. YFLO would play its role to align and develop as much women entrepreneurs from not just cities but also from rural India” Dr. Kanodia added.
YFLO represents over 9500 women entrepreneurs and professionals and Delhi chapter alone has over 500 women entrepreneurs. With over 40 years of experience, YFLO has been promoting entrepreneurship and professional excellence among women through workshops, seminars, conferences, training and capacity building programs etc.
Dr Payal Kanodia has been felicitated with many national and international acclamations including – “Times 40 under 40”, “Karamveer Global Fellowship”, instituted by #iCONGO, in partnership with United Nations – “Mahatma Award” and “CSR Person of the Year Award 2022”. She has been recently recognized as the “Leader of Hope” during the Indian Brand and Leadership Conclave & Awards 2024 in Goa. She is also the Director General of India-Kosovo Trade Relations, and a listed member with Royal Asiatic Society – Great Britain, English Heritage – UK, and Royal Society of St. George – England.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
