Kevin Gallagher, Croda International PLC’s recently retired president of Global Personal Care and Actives, was honored at the In-Cosmetics show in Paris when he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kevin Gallagher spent nearly four decades at Croda, before announcing his retirement in January 2016. Since then he has established Kevin Gallagher Consulting LLC, and advises companies on developing strategies. Croda signed on as one of his first clients. 

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises the outstanding professional accomplishments of individuals who have made a significant impact on the cosmetic and personal care industry and is handed out only once every three years. The finalists are chosen by a group of panelists, and then the industry votes.

The two runners-up were R. Randall Wickett of R. Randall Wickett Consulting and Patrice Bellon, President of the French Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

Gallagher said, “Winning the Lifetime Achievement Award is a wonderful accolade that recognizes true innovation and commitment to the industry. I am proud of my career with Croda and for having been an important part of the global leadership team that created the most successful personal care ingredients.” 

Sandra Breene, Croda’s President of Global Personal Care and Actives, added, “Croda is immensely proud of Kevin achieving the award and its well-deserved recognition from the industry. This award speaks volumes to both Kevin and Croda’s unyielding efforts to strive for sustainable innovation in the Personal Care market.”

Notable Achievements

Gallagher began his career with Croda as an applications chemist in 1978, and has held positions in R&D, QA, Sales and Marketing before moving into general management in 1989. He became the first President of Croda’s Global Personal Care and Actives when the group structure was changed in 2014.

Gallagher was at the forefront of the industry’s move from animal to plant derived ingredients and spearheaded many of the activities that have ensured Croda’s continued leadership in sustainability. 

This includes two notable achievements; the RSPO Supply Chain Certification of all relevant Croda sites to handle Certified Sustainable Palm Oil derivatives; and the largest investment in sustainable innovation to build the first plant of this type in North America, that will manufacture a 100% bio-based range of products, by using ethylene oxide derived from bio-ethanol.

He is also a co-inventor on seven patents held by Croda that have resulted in highly successful products. 

Gallagher remains an independent director on the board of P2 Sciences, a renewable speciality chemicals company as well as serving on the chemical engineering advisory board at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Read more about Gallagher’s achievements in Happi.