The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on Monday, February 11, received a donation from the Chantecaille Conservation Foundation (CCF). Presented by the Foundation’s Co-Founder and CEO Sylvie Chantecaille, the donations were received by KWS Director General Prof. Erastus Kanga at the KWS headquarters in Nairobi.
The donations included 20 upgraded Land Cruiser pickups, one truck, and 50 tents valued at $1.8 million (KSh232.4 million).
Prof. Kanga thanked Sylvie Chantecaille for the donation and applauded her unwavering dedication to safeguarding Kenya’s rich biodiversity.
He assured that the resources will be efficiently and effectively utilized to maximize their impact in the field.
“Prof. Kanga called for continued collaboration with the Chantecaille Conservation Foundation, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and other partners who share our vision of a thriving and well-protected natural ecosystem,” said KWS.
On her part, Sylvie Chantecaille expressed her passion for wildlife conservation and her commitment to preserving Kenya’s rich biodiversity.
She termed the donation as a reflection of a shared vision for a well-protected wildlife population and sustainable conservation efforts.
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The Chantecaille Conservation Foundation (CCF) was founded in 2022 by Sylvie and Olivier Chantecaille to promptly act to save the earth’s wild spaces that can still be saved, with a focus on protecting and advocating on behalf of keystone species.
Profile of Sylvie Chantecaille
Born into a family of art collectors, Sylvie’s upbringing in Paris immersed her into the world of art. Chantecaille spent most of her free hours in her mother’s garden where her love of flowers took root at a very young age.
She moved to New York in the 1970s and started a small company of chic cosmetics with Diane von Furstenberg.
Their successful venture caught the attention of the Estée Lauder company, which soon came to woo her to join their team.
Sylvie launched Prescriptives at Estée Lauder in 1979 which went on to become a best-selling cosmetics line, injecting a new level of scientific emphasis in a wealth of groundbreaking formulas.
After establishing a unique foothold in the beauty market with Prescriptives, Sylvie was fueled by the desire to create a new company that reflected her own natural, holistic approach to beauty and wellness, as well as her obsession with fragrance.
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In 1997, she launched Chantecaille as a small fragrance house with four highly original scents based on natural essential oils.
This offering presaged the next wave in cosmetics—naturals—by many years and laid the foundation for the company’s unique approach to beauty.
Despite its French roots, the company operates from its New York head office and has since grown to have a global presence, with particular interest in the US.
Chantecaille acquired
In September 2021, German-based multinational Beiersdorf AG announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Chantecaille Beaute Inc., USA.
At the time, the company was looking to end 2021 with $100 million (approximately Ksh12.9 billion) in sales.
Beiersdorf in a press release said that the value of the deal was between Ksh76.2 billion and Ksh89.1 billion, depending on the future development of the Chantecaille business.
The Nivea owner went on to acquire Chantecaille in January 2022 and was expected to run the beauty brand as a separate entity to other members of its portfolio, similar to its set up with luxury skin care name La Prairie.
During the time of acquisition, Sylvie’s daughters, Olivia and Alex, and son Philippe still held executive roles within the company, as did husband Olivier.
“We looked very carefully for a great steward that could help take Chantecaille to the next level and continue to further Chantecaille’s acceleration as a leader in natural beauty. The fact that Beiersdorf shares the same core values made them an ideal choice,” Sylvie, CEO and founder of Chantecaille, said of the deal.
Sylvie’s personal passion for animals informs Chantecaille’s philanthropy platform, which has become the company’s calling card.
In 2006, the disappearing butterflies in her garden inspired her create a colorful cause-metics palette to support conservationists working to protect them.
Since then, Chantecaille has launched 24 limited edition cause-metics collections, which have benefited organizations worldwide: The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, WideCast, the FairWild Standard, Space For Giants, and many more.
In 2019 Sylvie was recognized by CEW as an Achiever Award Honoree, the beauty industry’s highest honor spotlighting achievement in business and leadership.
KWS donation
Following the Chantecaille Conservation Foundation’s donation to KWS, the wildlife service said that each vehicle has been modified to withstand the rugged terrain in which it operates in.
Furthermore, the vehicles have been fitted with VHF radios to facilitate seamless communication between field operations teams and the command centres, improving coordination, response times, and overall security in our protected areas.
Sylvie expressed her passion for wildlife conservation and her commitment to preserving Kenya’s rich biodiversity. She termed the donation as a reflection of our shared vision for a well-protected wildlife population and sustainable conservation efforts.
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