Where it all started.

Alix Philippart de Foy interviewed by Estée Lauder team

How long have you worked at ELC?

I joined ELC eight years ago as Account Coordinator, ADF, TR Middle East, based in Dubai before becoming Associate Sales Manager (ASM) for ADF 2 years later. In 2016, I moved to the Estée Lauder brand as an ASM and then in 2019 began my current role as Corporate Account Manager (CAM) for DDF (Dubai Duty Free) and inflight.

What do you do in your current role? What is the best part of your current role?

In my current role, I look after the B2B corporate relationship with Dubai Duty Free, which is our main account in the Middle East region, inflight, Maldives Airport and Lagardere Saudi Arabia. My role is to ensure our brands are set to gain market share so ELC can become the #1 P&C (Perfumes and Cosmetics) group in all these accounts.

What led you to ELC and Travel Retail? What were you doing before you joined the Company?

I’ve always loved to travel. My first job in Dubai was with Puig as a TR Commercial and Marketing Executive for the Middle East, a position I stayed in for five years. After that, I moved to a Sales Department Manager role for a distributer of P&G beauty brands in the UAE local market. I missed Travel Retail so much that I looked for a new role in TR and found ELC.

What is something you have learned during quarantine that you would like to share?

The fact that we all started working from home forced me to adapt and learn how to use our new online tools. Working in different locations, I wanted to still feel connected, especially as regular personal connections became more important than ever as we worked from home.

I have three kids, ages 13, 10 and 6, which came with challenges as they all began their schooling from home. Despite this, I’ve enjoyed spending more time with them and our time together has helped us rediscover the joy in simple family moments. I’ve also spent time completing sewing upcycling projects. I’ve had friends give me their old men’s shirts, which I’ve transformed into woman’s top and dresses for my friend’s daughters.

Last but not least, I’ve taken the time to finalize a project called Cup&Go!, which aims to end period poverty. I wanted to give back and support a cause close to my heart and am very proud to work on this initiative.

Tell us more about Cup&Go!.

Cup&Go! supports young girls suffering from period poverty. Period poverty is an important issue and happens when girls and women either do not have access or cannot afford to purchase menstrual products. This often costs young girls their education and affects their ability to fulfill their potential. Further, it can be a roadblock to securing a decent job that would help lift their family out of poverty.

Through online research, I met Christine Garde, the founder and CEO of CouldYou?, a New York-based 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty in Africa. With Christine’s help, we established Cup&Go!, a pilot program aimed at given young women reusable menstrual cups.

I chose to run Cup&Go!’s first project on the island of Mozambique, as I learned there is a huge need to support young girls there who do not have access to sanitary pads or menstrual products. In Mozambique, 94% of girls enroll in kindergarten, 11% reach secondary school and only 1% attend college. Young girls and women on the island clearly need support and the tools to allow them to stay in school.

Providing menstrual cups is one solution to helping these young women stay in school. The menstrual cups we provide are made of medical silicone, are economical, safe, hygienic, reusable, clean, and last for ten years. Further, they only require a small amount of water to clean. CouldYou? produced and supplied the cups for the Cup&Go! Project on the island, as well as manage the programming and educational piece of the initiative with local volunteers.

Thanks to friends and family who donated funds to the project, we’ve supported 300 young ladies between the ages of 15- and 30-years old living on the island.

The menstrual cups were given out in November, when volunteers hosted two training session of 30 girls per day for five days. Moira Forjaz, who lives in Mozambique, welcomed the program to take place at Wixutta Knowledge Center), the resource center she runs on the island. Each session began with training on menstrual health and each attendee was given a menstrual cup at the end. We also hosted opening and closing beach clean-up events to remind the community of the importance of taking care of their environment, as it has an impact on their health.

Local volunteers have remained in contact with participants to ensure they are comfortable with and utilizing their menstrual cups, and they remain available if anyone has any questions. A survey will be distributed in a few months to determine the success rate of the project and we are aiming to reach a minimum of 90% success rate. We’ve already received positive feedback from participants that these cups are changing their lives.

I am so grateful that ELC supported my project and allowed me to take 5 days off to attend our first event in person. It was such a rewarding experience to see how these menstrual cups are providing new opportunities for the women of Mozambique.

Our next step is to repeat this program in the same area to reach even more people in need. We are still determining the number of young girls to support. It will cost $10 to support one girl for ten years.

Eventually, I’d love to run this initiative in other places like Sri Lanka, Indonesia and South America. This is my contribution to creating a better world and I am so proud to have taken this on during Covid.

If you’d like to learn more, you can follow the program on Instagram, Facebook or our website.

What words inspire you?

I am inspired when I read powerful quotes and am reminded of their meanings. My favorite ones are below.

• “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Dr Seuss

• “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” Anthony J. D'Angelo

• “If not now, when?” Steve Backley

• “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” Mary Engelbreit

• “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” Bill Keane

As the world goes through something unimaginable together, what words of encouragement would you share?

I recommend everyone look on the positive side and be grateful for what and who you have, as well as always appreciating good health. It is important to trust that time is the key to unlock any difficult situation, as troubles fade it away. Always be patient and agile!

What is your happy place? It can be a physical place, like home, or a memory that you go back to.

I really enjoy spending time in my garden, looking at how my plants evolve, flowers blossom and small animals build homes. I love smelling the fragrances that nature has to offer, touching grass with my bare feet and breathing in the calmness that comes from this.

What travel tip would you like to share with your colleagues?

Don’t plan your trip with too much detail so you can allow for unexpected encounters or surprise events that make your journey special and memorable.

Travelers always want to visit the recommended top sites, but I advise that on your way to these sites, to stop by small villages or visit small markets, taste local food in local places and try to get a sense for the authentic vibes of the culture.

What is one item that you cannot live without?

I discovered ANR on my first day at ELC and I said “thank you” out loud when I applied it for the first time. I now use it at least twice a day.