What Does Firmenich Do?

Total employees5346
HeadquartersGeneva
FoundedN/A

Firmenich SA was a Swiss, family-owned company, and one of the world's leading creators of fragrances and flavors. Founded in 1895 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Philippe Chuit and Martin Naef, and later joined by Fred Firmenich, the company focused on scientific research, creativity, and sustainability to develop unique sensory experiences for food, beverage, fine fragrance, body, and home care products. With a rich heritage spanning over a century, Firmenich was renowned for its commitment to responsible business and pioneering new ingredients. In May 2023, Firmenich merged with Royal DSM to become DSM-Firmenich, a new global leader in nutrition, health, and beauty.

Where Is Firmenich's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the global corporate management hub, registered office, and a key center for strategic operations for the historical Firmenich entity.

Notable Features:

While this address was the registered corporate office, Firmenich's significant operational footprint in the Geneva area included major R&D and creation campuses like the one in Satigny (e.g., Rue de la Bergère 7), featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, pilot plants, and creative studios.

Work Culture:

Historically characterized by a blend of family-owned values with a strong emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation, long-term vision, and sustainability. It fostered a collaborative environment for creativity and research.

HQ Significance:

The historical heart of Firmenich's global operations, symbolizing its Swiss heritage, commitment to R&D, and its legacy as a leading innovator in the fragrance and flavor industry for over 125 years.

Values Reflected in HQ: Innovation through advanced R&D facilities (notably at Satigny), sustainability in campus design and operations, and a commitment to quality and Swiss precision.

Location:

Prior to its merger with DSM, Firmenich operated globally with an extensive network of creation centers, manufacturing plants, and sales offices across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa. This widespread presence supported critical functions including research & development, fragrance & flavor creation, ingredient production, application development, sales, and marketing, enabling close collaboration with local and multinational clients worldwide and ensuring a deep understanding of regional consumer preferences.

Street Address:

1, route des Jeunes, P.O. Box 239

City:

Geneva

State/Province:

Geneva

Country:

Switzerland (Postal Code: 1211 Genève 8)

Where Else Does Firmenich Operate Around the World?

Princeton, New Jersey, USA

Address: 2500 Plainsboro Road, Plainsboro, NJ 08536, USA

Serviced the large North American market, focusing on consumer product innovation and local taste/scent preferences.

Neuilly-sur-Seine (Paris), France

Address: 41-43 Rue de Villiers, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

Hub for European fine fragrance development and innovation, leveraging Paris's status as a global capital of perfumery.

Shanghai, China

Address: No. 3901, Jin Du Road, Xin Zhuang Industrial Zone, Min Hang District, Shanghai 201108, China

Served the rapidly growing Asian market with tailored flavor and fragrance solutions, understanding local consumer trends and preferences.

São Paulo, Brazil

Address: Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 26.9, Cotia – SP, CEP 06707-000, Brazil

Catered to the diverse Latin American market, developing products suited to local tastes and consumer needs.

Buying Intent Signals for Firmenich

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Firmenich? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Firmenich' leadership includes:

Gilbert Ghostine - Chief Executive Officer (until May 2023)
Benoit Fouilland - Chief Financial Officer (until May 2023)
Dr. Sarah Reisinger - Chief Research Officer (until May 2023)
Ilaria Resta - President, Global Perfumery (until mid-2023)
Emmanuel Butstraen - President, Taste & Beyond (until May 2023)
Mieke Van de Capelle - Chief Human Resources Officer (until May 2023)

Who's Investing in Firmenich?

Firmenich has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Primarily owned by the Firmenich family (Privately Held since 1895)

What Leadership Changes Has Firmenich Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits2

Most significant executive changes concerning Firmenich in the last 12-18 months were directly related to its merger with DSM, completed in May 2023, leading to the formation of DSM-Firmenich. This involved the transition of Firmenich's leadership into new roles within DSM-Firmenich or departures. Few major 'Firmenich-only' hires occurred in its final year as an independent entity.

Departures

Gilbert Ghostine, Departed as CEO of Firmenich upon completion of the merger with DSM. Did not continue in a CEO capacity at DSM-Firmenich.
Ilaria Resta, Departed from Firmenich (transition effective post-merger announcement) to assume the role of CEO at Audemars Piguet.

New Appointments:

Emmanuel Butstraen, Emmanuel Butstraen was appointed President, Animal Nutrition & Health at the newly formed DSM-Firmenich, transitioning from his leadership role at Firmenich.
Dr. Sarah Reisinger, Dr. Sarah Reisinger was appointed Chief Science & Research Officer at DSM-Firmenich, continuing her research leadership from Firmenich into the merged entity.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byFirmenich?

Discover the tools Firmenich uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Firmenich Email Formats and Examples

Prior to its merger with DSM, Firmenich commonly used an email format based on employee names. The most prevalent format was firstname.lastname@firmenich.com. While variations might have existed for very common names or specific departments, this was the general standard. Post-merger, email formats align with DSM-Firmenich standards (e.g., firstname.lastname@dsm-firmenich.com).

firstname.lastname@firmenich.com

Format

jane.doe@firmenich.com

Example

85%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Firmenich?

DSM-Firmenich Press ReleaseMay 9, 2023

DSM and Firmenich complete merger to launch DSM-Firmenich, a new leader in nutrition, health, and beauty

Royal DSM and Firmenich SA announced the successful completion of their transformational merger, officially launching DSM-Firmenich. The new company combines the complementary strengths of both entities, with Firmenich contributing its world-class Perfumery and Taste businesses....more

DSM-Firmenich NewsOctober 26, 2023

DSM-Firmenich recognized as a global leader in sustainability by Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, building on strong legacies

DSM-Firmenich has been recognized for its robust sustainability efforts, including by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. This acknowledgment reflects the continued commitment to responsible business practices inherent in both legacy DSM and Firmenich, the latter having a long history of prioritizing sustainability....more

DSM-Firmenich Press ReleaseFebruary 20, 2024

DSM-Firmenich launches Ambrox® Super: a new highly performing and sustainable captive perfumery ingredient

DSM-Firmenich introduced Ambrox® Super, a powerful ambery note produced via advanced fermentation from renewable carbon sources. This innovation leverages Firmenich's historical expertise in white biotechnology and sustainable ingredient creation for the perfumery industry....more

Highperformr's free tools for company research

Explore Employees by Region or Country

See where a company’s workforce is located, by country or region.

View Funding Details

View past and recent funding rounds with amounts and investors.

Understand Revenue Insights

Understand company revenue estimates and financial scale.

Track Active Job Openings

Track active roles and hiring trends to spot growth signals.

Review Product and Offerings

Discover what a company offers—products, platforms, and solutions.

Get SIC or NAICS Codes

Get the company’s official SIC and NAICS classifications.

Analyze Website Traffic Trends

Analyze visitor volume, engagement, and top traffic sources.

Discover Social Profiles and Engagement

Explore LinkedIn, Twitter, and other active social profiles.

Identify Top Competitors

Identify top competitors based on similar business traits.

Research and Discover Companies with Highperformr — Smarter, Faster

Explore companies in depth — from the tech they use to recent funding, hiring trends, and buyer signals — all in one powerful view.

Highperformr AI helps you surface the right accounts and enrich your CRM with verified company and contact insights, so your teams can prioritize and engage faster.

  • Track intent signals to find buyers who are actively in-market
  • Enrich contacts and companies instantly, no need to switch tools
  • Automate workflows to stay ahead of every change
  • Connect your CRM & tools for seamless data sync and activation

Thousands of companies, including Firmenich, are just a search away.