The Body Shop appoints Diego Ortiz de Zevallos as general manager, Spain and Portugal

By

Triana Alonso

Translated by
Roberta HERRERA

Published
Mar 23, 2022

The Body Shop has reshuffled its management for Spain and Portugal. As announced on Tuesday, March 22 through a brief statement, the sustainable cosmetics company has appointed Diego Ortiz de Zevallos as general manager for the region, succeeding Antonio Rodríguez de la Paz Fernández, who had held the position since July 2018. Ortiz de Zevallos's promotion comes after a five-year stint with the British firm. 

According to the company, the newly appointed general manager of Spain and Portugal was involved in the company's rebranding process, which saw more than 700 products relaunch and the installation of in-store refill stations. His responsibilities have been transversal in the company he joined five years ago after starting his career at L’Oréal, transferring to Natura & Co-owned The Body Shop following its acquisition in September 2017.

In his new role as general manager, Ortiz de Zevallos will bring his expertise in branding and product development to the retail sector. Under his leadership, the brand will continue to operate in Spain and Portugal with more than 100 points of sale and around 300 employees.

To carry out his new duties, the Peruvian-born executive will relocate to Madrid, from where he will lead the two markets. Ortiz de Zevallos has previously lived in other international capitals such as Lima, New York, Paris and London. "Diego firmly believes that sustainable beauty is here to stay and that all businesses and customers can be drivers of change, beliefs that are aligned with Natura's objective of being the best beauty group for the world," stated the company while announcing the appointment.

Founded in 1976 by Dame Anita Roddick in Brighton, England, The Body Shop is a beauty brand offering skin care, body care, haircare and makeup products that draw their inspiration from nature which reflects their ethical and eco-friendly values, earning it the reputation of being one of the leading sustainability pioneers in the cosmetics industry. The company, which holds a B Corp certificate, is present in 70 countries with around 3,000 points-of-sale.

Today, The Body Shop forms part of the multi-brand and multichannel cosmetics conglomerate Natura & Co, which also owns the Aesop, Avon and Natura brands. The parent company closed the 2021 financial year with sales growth of 8.8% to 40,164.7 million Brazilian reais (around 7255.2 million euros); whereas The Body Shop came in third place in terms of turnover, recording an increase of 9.2% to 5,821.8 million Brazilian reais (around 1051.6 million euros).