Francis Pickthall, CPL Aromas' global marketing director and one of the members of the family which founded of the Group, tragically died on Friday 1 March 2019 after a short battle with cancer. He was 51. He leaves behind his wife, Jacqueline, and two young children, Grace & Leo.
Francis joined CPL in 1985 where he began his career as a trainee perfumer working under the late Michael Pickthall and later with Robert Calkin. During this time, Francis developed a passion for the business and learned a wide variety of aspects of the fragrance industry. A member of the British Society of Perfumers, Francis went on to establish himself as a successful perfumer creating well- known market products such as Penhaligon's Racquets Formula fragrance. Michael Pickthall, co-founder of CPL and Creative Perfumer died in 1989 leaving Francis, for a time, as CPL's only perfumer. Francis held the company together in perfumery terms at a very young age and until the company was able to recruit other perfumers.
Francis became more involved in the commercial side of the business, developing overseas markets such as the Middle East, Europe and South America, later becoming joint Managing Director of the UK division prior to the company's flotation on the London Stock Exchange.
Francis was closely involved in establishing CPL Dubai, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the Middle East market, and he also successfully led the project to build CPL Dubai's factory in Jebel Ali, which is still the only fragrance factory in Dubai. Francis also served as general manager, CPL Dubai, over this time before returning to the UK to oversee the group's global marketing and branding. While back in the UK, Francis became a member of the IFRA UK executive committee in 2009 and later went on to chair the organisation.
Francis returned with his young family to Dubai in 2013 as global marketing and branding director, where he also enjoyed working with key clients in the region and where he also maintained a keen interest in perfumery.
