Revision as of 13:38, 4 May 2024 by Macleod199(talk | contribs)(The Order of Canada was listed next to the company’s name, rather than her name. the article overall is maybe too ambiguous about whether it is about her or the company that shares her name #article-section-source-editor)
Lise Watier is a Canadian prestige cosmetic company and brand, launched in 1972 by Madame Lise Watier, OC, and distributed through department and select drugstores.[1][2][3]
Lise Watier was born in Montreal in 1942. Her father worked his way up to become manager of a car dealership and her mother had a sense of fashion.[4]
She told the Toronto Star that the heavy makeup she wore for her job as a researcher and host for a women's interest television program from 1963 to 1968 inspired her to create a self-improvement and makeup course company, Charme et Beauté Lise Watier Inc., in 1965, and to launch her own line of cosmetics in 1972.[5]
The Montreal-based company first attempted to expand in the 1980s, but a fire in the company's factory and offices was a major setback. Watier later told the National Post, "It took until 1995 to get back to the point we were at in 1990."[6] By the turn of the century, the company's cosmetics were distributed in France and across Canada.[6]
Watier was a family-owned company; Watier's husband, Serge Rocheleau was chairman and general manager, and daughters Nathalie and Marie-Lise worked in marketing.[6]
The brand is distributed in Canada and the United States.
In 1986, the company's founder was honoured as Canadian business woman of the year.[7]
In 2007, Imperial Capital Corporation of Toronto, an investment firm, purchased a majority stake in the company, with Watier and Rocheleau retaining seats on the board and a minority share in the company.[8]
In 2009, the company signed Mitsou Gélinas, a Canadian singer, actor and television personality, as ambassador.[9]
In 2013, Watier stepped down as CEO, appointing Pierre Plasard, previously of L'Oréal, to take her place.[8] As of that time, the company had 175 employees and did approximately $90 million in sales annually.[8]
^Lise Watier, une vie à entreprendre (videorecording) / Société Radio-Canada. -- Montréal : Société Radio-Canada, 2015
^Jaimer, Kate (31 July 1999). "A touch of beauty: Determination and hard work have made Lise Watier the Celine Dion of Quebec's cosmetics business". Ottawa Citizen. ProQuest240263430.
^Bot, Ellen (2 July 1987). "Watier favors subtle makeup look". Toronto Star. ProQuest435598489.
^ abcAllossery, Patrick (25 October 1999). "Quebec's Watier finds the sweet smell of success It's all in the family; Despite setbacks, firm is still tops in its home market". National Post. ProQuest329574649.