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Lauder & Order

A post-post-pandemic comeback for The Estée Lauder Companies hasn’t erased doubts about C.E.O. Fabrizio Freda, his turnaround plan, and another round of layoffs. Could M&A be the answer to get Lauder back in business?

Fabrizio Freda
Freda was once responsible for the company’s most stellar performance. The question is whether he is also the right person now to guide the The Estée Lauder Companies through this new, post-pandemic era. Photo: WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
Rachel Strugatz
May 8, 2024

The Estée Lauder Companies reported good-not-great earnings last week, and you know what that means––more musings about the fate of longtime C.E.O. Fabrizio Freda, succession rumors, and efforts to decipher that “inflection point” spin. To be clear: Freda is not getting fired, nor is he leaving anytime soon. “His job is not on the line,” a person close to the matter said. On the contrary, Freda is determined to complete the turnaround that has begun on his watch, and he said as much to Bloomberg in February.