Lise Watier receives an honorary doctorate from HEC Montréal
Tuesday May 27, 2014
The Université de Montréal, on the recommendation of HEC Montréal, conferred today an honorary doctorate on Lise Watier, founder of Lise Watier Cosmétiques and President of the Foundation that bears her name.
An icon of the beauty industry for over 40 years, Lise Watier is a model to be emulated, an inspiring example and an essential reference for all entrepreneurs. She received this distinction at the convocation ceremony held this afternoon in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts.
True entrepreneurial pioneer in Quebec, Ms. Watier built her business by listening to Quebec women. As a former television host, she recognized her viewer’s needs and they became the source of her inspiration. In order to enhance her viewer’s self-worth, she created the Institut Lise Watier in 1968 and Lise Watier Cosmétiques in 1972.
Her company distributes some 500 products through more than 2,000 points of sale across Canada and now online in the United States. It has nearly 150 employees and net sales of $41 million* annually.
With determination and perseverance, Ms. Watier took an innovative approach and created a line of makeup, skincare products and fragrances that have now become essentials. Her exceptional leadership and vision led her to launch her NEIGES perfume in 1993, the greatest fragrance success in Canadian history.
“Lise Watier, your career path is a perfect illustration of how leadership, innovation and philanthropy make it possible to overcome obstacles, be they personal, professional or, ultimately, social ones,” said HEC Montréal Director Michel Patry. “You do us a great honour by accepting this degree today, and we thank you most sincerely.”
“I cannot tell you how proud I am to receive this very prestigious distinction. Being made a doctor by this university, with its goal of educating future managers, means a great deal to me, especially considering its high teaching standards”, said Ms. Watier.
Ms. Watier has received many honours over the years. She was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1991, and promoted to an Officer in December 2012. She has also been an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec since 2000. Ms. Watier was recognized as a Great Montrealer by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal in 2013 and inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends in 2014 as a visionary.
She is highly involved in the community, and generously gives of her time and efforts to the Foundation that bears her name, created to help women and girls in need through Canadian non-profit organizations.
Lastly, Ms. Watier is an excellent model for HEC Montréal students, alumni and staff. Her success and commitment are a source of inspiration for the next generation of Quebec leaders. So it is with great pride that HEC Montréal conferred this honorary doctorate on her today.
About HEC Montréal
HEC Montréal is an internationally renowned French-language business school, with over 12,000 students. Every year it trains more than 7,000 executives and managers. The School holds many prestigious accreditations, and offers some 40 programs of study from the bachelor’s to doctoral levels. It is one of the most active business schools in Canada in terms of research, thanks to some fifty research units, including 26 chairs (7 of them Canada Research Chairs). With a faculty of 264, HEC Montréal offers programs in several languages and attracts students from nearly 140 countries. Since its founding in 1907, the School has trained more than 73,000 students in all fields of management.
About Lise Watier Cosmétiques
From the very beginning, Lise Watier Cosmétiques has recruited top talent to make each stride forward the result of superb teamwork. Ms. Watier has consistently sought to surround herself with the most competent, motivated colleagues, never hesitating to recruit experts in various fields and specializations. From product development to marketing and distribution, the employees of Lise Watier Cosmétiques are picked from the top schools. Since September 2013, Mr. Pierre Passard has been the company’s President and CEO. The Imperial Capital Corporation, an Ontario-based investment firm, has been the majority shareholder since March 2007.
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*Financial statements dated April 30, 2013.
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Source: Julie Lajoye
Media Relations Advisor – HEC Montréal
514 340-7320 or julie.lajoye@hec.ca
Source: Rachel Ladouceur
Manager, Public Relations – Lise Watier Cosmétiques
514 465-0752