Portraits in Leadership
Lyle Leonard
Lyle Leonard, senior vice president of global packaging at Coty Inc., has been in the packaging industry for almost 30 years. His method for success is to consistently challenge himself and others. “We are always challenging our suppliers to meet our aesthetic criteria and improve production quality,” he says. “I challenge everyone on our team to ask themselves two questions: ‘Why does it cost so much? and How can we execute this design in a different way for better quality and less cost?’”
Leonard first embarked on his career path when his uncle, one of the first graduates of the School of Packaging at Michigan State University, recommended the curriculum to Leonard. “It was the best career decision I could have made,” he says. Starting out in the pharmaceutical industry, he spent seven years developing drug packaging. Next, he worked on a combination of pharmaceutical and personal care products during his two years at Procter & Gamble, where he began moving toward the beauty industry. “I had too much energy for the slower pace of the pharmaceutical business,” he says. Leonard later joined L’Oréal, where he stayed for more than 13 years before joining Coty in 1999.
Coty’s packaging team continues to launch innovative products, turning creative visions into reality. The company is known in the industry for reducing development lead times from packaging concept to execution. “Speed to market requires a new way of thinking, timely decision making, new approaches, and supportive suppliers,” he explains. The team must adapt to necessary changes in development and production. “Change is difficult. I am most proud of our people and their ability to adapt to these changes,” Leonard says.
Leonard is constantly encouraging outside global designers and suppliers to embrace 3-D computer-aided design as a tool. “It is a huge leap for creative people to accept, but the benefits of this information exchange are priceless. It is one way to ensure there will be no ‘surprises’ between the creative design and the executed package, which is critical in order to launch within our time frames,” Leonard explains.
In 2002, Lavigne founded Chad Lavigne LLC. “Going out on my own was a huge step for me. It was the best, most exciting career decision I’ve ever made,” he says. Lavigne works with his own small team. “It is important for me to know that the people I work with feel as inspired as I do. Everyone has to contribute positive energy to a project,” he explains.
Leonard puts great emphasis on communication, and he never likes to move forward with a project until everyone at the table agrees. “First, I give everyone the opportunity to air any concerns they might have. If someone disagrees, then we try to come to a compromise. Everyone on our team, including suppliers, must be fully committed and believe that a project is possible before we move forward,” he says.
In order to lead Coty’s teams, which are located around the world, Leonard spends more than 40% of his time traveling. Leonard was instrumental in the development of a global, Web-based packaging specification system that allows everyone to share information more easily.
Throughout the past six years, Leonard has witnessed the growth of Coty, and he encourages his team to grow as well. “There is nothing better than to see someone surprised by a promotion and a vote of confidence in their performance,” he says. Although he might be putting in long days himself, Leonard encourages everyone to find a balance between work and personal time. “I don’t want anyone burning out from working 12 hours a day—that is not a formula for success.” He also believes everyone should have fun at work. “I love seeing faces light up when we have a great launch, as well as the pride my team members feel when they know they had a role to play in the development and creation of a successful product,” he says.