Mr. Fred H. Langhammer

Fred H. Langhammer is Chairman, Global Affairs, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
 
Mr. Langhammer served as CEO from 1999 through July 1, 2004.  He served as Chief Operating Officer from 1985 and as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company from 1995 through 1999.  During this period, Mr. Langhammer was instrumental, together with Leonard A. Lauder, Chairman, in developing overall growth strategy, including new acquisitions, with specific performance objectives for the Company.

He also played a key role in bringing the Company public in 1995. Today the Estée Lauder Companies is recognized as a global premium consumer goods company by the investment community.

Mr. Langhammer joined the Company in 1975 as President of Estée Lauder, Japan, which he developed into the Company's largest international affiliate in terms of both profits and revenues. While in that post, Mr. Langhammer oversaw the launch of Clinique, which quickly rose to become the number one brand in Japan, a position it maintains today. 

In 1982, he became Managing Director of Estée Lauder Germany, where he significantly improved the Company's commercial relationships and established the German affiliate as a platform for growth.

Prior to joining Estée Lauder, Mr. Langhammer was General Manager of Dodwell Japan's Import Division, a subsidiary of Inchcape, a major British trading company and one of the first western consumer products companies to enter Japan.

Mr. Langhammer serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Company, Shinsei Bank, American International Group, Inc. and Co-Chairman of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He is also a senior fellow of the Foreign Policy Association.

Mr. Langhammer holds dual citizenship: U.S.A./Germany.  Educated in Germany, Canada and Japan, he is married with two children and speaks fluent Japanese and German.

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For a profile of Mr. Langhammer that appeared in WirtschaftsWoche, please click here.