Rabu Thierry knows that leadership often means making the hard calls – the kind that put long-term growth ahead of short-term comfort. Backed by decades of experience in operations, sales and project management, he’s built a reputation on being both strategic and straightforward.
And when Thierry came on board as CEO of Meiyume, his mission was clear: to unify a business shaped by multiple acquisitions, reset its strategic focus and futureproof it for the ever-evolving demands of beauty consumers around the world.
“Alongside my experience and industry relationships, I believe the shareholders asked me to join to help reset Meiyume’s strategic focus,” he tells The CEO Magazine.
“When a company is simple, it has more chances to be profitable and all the stakeholders benefit from this.”
“The company was never fully integrated. While there were strengths in allowing small business units to run independently; without synergy, it becomes difficult to define your DNA and truly understand who you are.”
Complexity into simplicity
One of Thierry’s earliest imperatives was to align Meiyume’s three core pillars – packaging, manufacturing and turnkey – while empowering supporting functions such as sourcing, formulation, marketing and business intelligence to work in harmony. By unifying these forces, the company began operating with greater clarity, responsiveness and innovation.
“Throughout my career, I’ve tried to run companies as simply as possible,” he says. “When a company is simple, it has a better chance of being profitable and all stakeholders benefit from that.”
But simplification isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about being bold enough to cut through complexity and act decisively.
“In Chinese, the words for risk and opportunity are closely linked – and this is where I believe the entrepreneurial spirit of a CEO is expressed in the right way,” Thierry adds.
“In Chinese, the words for risk and opportunity are closely linked – and this is where I believe the entrepreneurial spirit of a CEO is expressed in the right way.”
Meiyume’s synergistic model is now supported by a proprietary Beauty Intelligence Platform (BIP), which helps the company stay agile, data-driven and deeply responsive to regional differences in consumer behavior and sentiment.
“We’re transforming our business model to become even faster, while staying truly international,” Thierry explains.
“Consumers differ from region to region, which is why we’re increasingly using AI, such as the BIP, to move faster and better analyze market trends.”
Delivering global impact
From skincare, color and haircare to mom and baby, fragrance and SPF, Meiyume is the quiet force behind many of the world’s most loved beauty products. With a strong global network and a deep understanding of regional nuances, the company helps brands show up with confidence, no matter the market.
“Thanks to our global network and regionally tailored sourcing and expertise, we’re able to support brands across markets with both scale and specialization,” Thierry notes.
“And as a multi-material provider with in-house engineering expertise, we can design and deliver highly customized packaging solutions.”
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It’s this blend of creativity, craftsmanship and capability that has earned the company top ranks in key markets: top five in Europe, top five-to-10 in the United States and top three in the Asia–Pacific, with particular strength in Thailand and Indonesia.
But Thierry knows staying ahead also requires continuous investment.
“In manufacturing, we’re constantly improving through operational upgrades and certifications,” he says. “We’re also digitizing processes to boost efficiency and raise the bar for operational excellence in the years ahead.”
Strong partnerships
Collaboration sits at the heart of Thierry’s approach where mutual trust and shared goals form the foundation for innovation.
“The agility of our supplier network model is dependent on the multiple offers we can make to the customers,” Thierry explains. “We can be creative enough to develop solutions together, but we really have to trust each other.”
From lightweight packaging and refillable systems to reduced carbon emissions and water usage, the company embeds environmental responsibility into its operational and innovation pipeline.
“When you see someone you’ve mentored do better than you did at their age, that’s the greatest reward for a leader.”
This is further supported by long-term supplier partnerships that are essential to agile and responsible growth.
“Key suppliers are ones with whom we develop true, breakthrough innovations. They’re the ones we work on new technologies with because we need to think outside the box,” Thierry says.
“We rely on trusted global suppliers like Hang Fung Metal and Leather Goods to co-develop breakthrough innovations. We can only succeed together with transparency, creativity and mutual trust.”
Human transformation
For Thierry, the transformation of Meiyume isn’t merely structural or strategic; it’s also deeply human.
“The main challenge for us is finding and retaining the best people,” he acknowledges. “Especially for a company that’s undergone change; it’s harder to keep everyone engaged and in the right mindset. But without talented people, you achieve nothing.”
He’s proud of the talent he’s nurtured, some of whom now sit on the executive team. And he believes true leadership means recognizing potential, even when it’s uncomfortable.
“Sometimes it’s better to have a good divorce than a bad marriage,” he points out.
“When your customers, shareholders, suppliers and employees are all thriving, that’s when you know you’ve done something right.”
“Holding onto someone out of concern for them can do more harm than good. Sometimes, a respectful split is the right decision.”
But more often than not, his goal is growth.
“When you see someone you’ve mentored do better than you did at their age, that’s the greatest reward for a leader,” he says with a smile.
Looking ahead
By learning from other industry experts and appreciating that the world of today is going to change, Thierry believes Meiyume is able to create the best possible value for its customers. From here, the sky is the limit.
“Our three values – agility, creativity and trust – are more than words on a slide. They guide how we work, how we partner and how we lead,” he says.
And in the end, they define what success means.
“When your customers, shareholders, suppliers and employees are all thriving, that’s when you know you’ve done something right,” Thierry notes.
“That’s when you can say, ‘Yes, this is success!’”
