To the FEBEA (the French Federation of Beauty Companies), she is as a rose in a bouquet of flowers: to be reckoned with, even essential, valued, at the core of the system … further, she is competent. She is the Director of the Scientific and Regulatory affairs. One could imagine, after meeting her in a conference, or listening to her saying all the bad things she thinks about, say, a mention often found on cosmetics’ labels, that her department is driven hard. CosmeticOBS-L’Observatoire des Cosmétiques did want to know more than this first intuition, and asked to meet her …
“Well, you are going to meet Anne Dux? My poor friend … good cheer!” a female journalist, a friend of mine told me some days before the planned meeting. True, she is impressive, thanks to her imposing figure, her authority, her say, also … when she does call a spade a spade and reframes things that need to: more a career soldier than a civil servant. Therefore, shall I go? Of course, I do! Something warm in the eyes let me think that Anne Dux is far more complex than the image attached to her. So, yes, I go, determined to “scratch the surface of this personality a bit”.
She welcomes me, requires some seconds to end an answer to an urgent e-mail, while the FEBEA Responsible for communication brings viennoiserie and coffee. Then, she comes to the meeting table; “which is the topic?” are her first words.
- Well … you!
- You want me to talk about my life?
- Yes.
OK, that’s the beginning of a two-hour story. That simple. Anne Dux will draw a sketch of her life, plain-speaking, without any sense of false modest. Direct, precise, honest. A very pleasant job as the interviewer …
