Powerhouse beauty executive Leonard A. Lauder has died at 92. The chairman emeritus of Estée Lauder Companies passed on June 14 surrounded by family, a statement from the cosmetics conglomerate read Sunday. The eldest son of company founders, namesake Estée and Joseph Lauder, Leonard played a pioneering role in transforming the beauty brand from a small-scale operation into a billion-dollar cosmetics empire. After formally joining the company in 1958, Leonard assumed a variety of roles over his 60-plus years at the brand, including serving as its president from 1972 to 1995 and as its chief executive officer from 1982 to 1999. He also spearheaded the launch of several prestige beauty brands, including Clinique and Aramis. “Throughout his life, my father worked tirelessly to build and transform the beauty industry, pioneering many of the innovations, trends, and best practices that are foundational to the industry today,” Leonard’s son and the chair of the board of directors at Estée Lauder Companies, William P. Lauder, said in a statement. “His impact was enormous. He believed that employees were the heart and soul of our company, and they adored him and moments spent with him.”
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