The great summer clean up is not finished at Nestlé. The grooming of the portfolio of activities continues. This time, the world’s number one agri-food offers the sale of its subsidiary, Nestlé Skin Health specializing in dermatologic care. Known for its brand Restylane, a filler of wrinkles competitor of Botox, or mainstream brands like Cetaphil, or Proactiv. A decision announced Thursday, September 20.
Activity Skin Health will not have had the time to take a ride. The swiss group had, indeed, created in 2014, following a refurbishment capital-intensive business of L’oréal. The heirs of the founder of the first group in the world of cosmetics had decided to increase their investment to the extent of 33,31 %, while Nestlé was reduced to 23,29 %. In addition to a one-off payment in cash, the laboratory of dermatology, Galderma had served as the currency of exchange, Nestlé, retrieving 50 % of the share capital held by L’oréal.
Galderma was to become the basis for the founding of the subsidiary’s Skin Health. A few months later, Nestlé had even invested one billion euros to strengthen its pole. Today, Skin Health weighs 2.3 billion euros and employs 5,000 people in the world.
Pressure of the fund activist Third Point
The new boss of Nestlé, Ulf Mark Schneider, has decided. The activity of care of the skin is no longer strategic for the group in Vevey, switzerland, which focused on ” food, beverage and nutritional health “. A decision that comes as Mr. Schneider is under pressure from the fund american activist Third Point.
Daniel Loeb, who had trumpeted in June 2017, holding 1.3% of the capital of the the world’s number one agri-food, has reiterated its requirements by July 2018. Whose a considered to be a priority in his eyes : the transfer of the 23,29 % of the share capital of L’oréal. A company with which Nestlé has announced, in February, that it not renewed not covenant…
