Are you still able to work and in what kind of conditions?
Bakel never closed its doors. We were open for business throughout the shutdown in Italy. Of course we had to be flexible and reorganise. But we are an agile and committed team and we got together remotely which allowed us to be creative and put forward new ideas. How can we give back to the community? How can we support our business partners who are still operating? How can we expand our network? We are learning many new ways of doing things that will serve us in the long term.

How, in your opinion, will your business change when we get back to a new sort of normality?
In difficulty I see opportunity. Every crisis can inspire new models, new paths for development. This emergency will help the beauty industry to focus on what is really important - to rethink the fundamentals of skincare. I believe quality will be the new normal. Consumers are finally demanding safety, transparency, clean ingredients that can really improve their skin and their lives. The Clean Beauty Movement was born well before the pandemic but will become even more relevant in the coming years. Many players will face significant sales slumps, but solid businesses based on excellence will thrive in the long run. I challenge myself to stay focused on real innovation; on what will define the next decade in skincare. I focus on the future and believe I can help to shape it.