“No Favors, Only Opportunities.”
Max Delaunay is a global business builder whose career spans more than three decades of transforming ideas into revenue, revitalizing underperforming divisions, and accelerating growth for some of the most influential companies across the fragrance, beauty, natural ingredients, and consumer packaged goods industries. His work is defined by a deep belief that opportunity emerges wherever vision, discipline, and strategic execution meet, and he has spent his career helping organizations unlock precisely that. From scaling startups into multimillion-dollar ventures to leading international expansions for household-name brands, Max’s leadership is rooted in resilience, foresight, and a remarkable ability to create long-term enterprise value.
Born and educated across Europe, with early roles in Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Max entered the global fragrance industry through Givaudan—where he quickly established himself as a trusted international account leader. Managing key global clients such as SC Johnson, Avon, and Johnson & Johnson, he gained early recognition for expanding complex, multi-market relationships and delivering consistent growth. These formative years shaped his understanding of global markets, operational nuance, and cultural fluency—skills that would become hallmarks of his executive career.
Max’s trajectory accelerated at Haarmann & Reimer (now Symrise), where he rose to Vice President and Global Sales Director. Leading a $13 million budget and a 25-person team, he drove global strategies for Unilever and played a pivotal role in the launch of several high-profile fragrance and personal care innovations. Among his achievements was the introduction of a men’s fragrance line for Estée Lauder that doubled annual sales within its first year—an outcome that demonstrated both his commercial precision and his instinct for aligning product value with market demand.
His success brought him to IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances), where he was charged with managing the company’s largest global account: Unilever, valued at $100 million. Max revitalized the account with a 24% sales increase in just two years, achieving a 50% rise in project revenue and strong profitability gains. His leadership unified cross-regional teams, established new forecasting models, and improved customer partnerships, laying the groundwork for long-term strategic stability across the portfolio.
Max later joined Charabot as Vice President of the Fragrance Division, where he took on one of the most demanding challenges of his career: turning around a failing U.S. subsidiary while simultaneously expanding the flavor division. Through disciplined restructuring, enhanced governance, and a revitalized sales strategy, he delivered a 30% revenue increase within nine months. His work not only restored the company’s competitive position but also contributed directly to its acquisition by Robertet in 2007, after which he was retained to drive further growth across natural ingredients, fragrance, and flavor portfolios in North America.
At Robertet, Max’s impact continued. He expanded the division’s revenue through strategic account realignment, securing a 40% sales increase and strengthening profitability across multiple product categories. His ability to leverage his international network—particularly across Canada and the northeastern U.S.—played a key role in reinforcing the company’s long-term market positioning and accelerating its global customer footprint.
His next chapter unfolded at Sensient Technologies, where he was selected to reverse a three-year decline within a $70 million savory division spanning the U.S. and Canada. Max rebuilt the sales organization, reinvigorated team culture, and collaborated with R&D to align new innovations with shifting market needs. His restructuring of forecasting, operations, and strategic planning positioned the division for sustainable recovery and restored momentum across key customer segments.
In 2017, Max transitioned from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, founding Delaunay Aroma Solutions (DAS) to bring natural, clean-label extracts and additives to the global market. Within two years, he built a multimillion-dollar portfolio through new market penetration, strategic partnerships, and expansion into bioremediation, odor elimination, and natural insect repellent technologies. His entrepreneurial work served as a catalyst for numerous startups, midsized companies, and global manufacturers seeking to modernize their product lines and accelerate commercial growth.
His ongoing advisory work with PLNTB exemplifies his ability to combine technical product understanding with go-to-market execution. Max helped the company scale from zero to $300,000 in revenue within 18 months while driving double-digit year-over-year growth for four consecutive years. His commercialization strategies and global network unlocked entry into new markets and led to the adoption of proprietary technologies by major industry players.
Today, as Co-Founder and VP of Sales & Business Development at Infinity Fragrances, Max continues to merge entrepreneurial urgency with disciplined governance. He helped guide the company from concept to a $2 million manufacturer within 18 months, securing 19 new clients, cutting overhead by $100,000 through compliance optimization, and expanding into Canada and Panama. His contributions span sales leadership, legal and financial frameworks, HR infrastructure, and board-level decision-making—reflecting his ability to scale early-stage ventures into sophisticated, resilient enterprises.
Across every chapter of his career, Max has built a reputation as a mentor, strategist, and “business matchmaker,” connecting companies with opportunities, partnerships, and pathways they might never have found alone. His leadership is grounded in integrity, global perspective, and a relentless commitment to helping organizations grow with purpose while protecting their people, resources, and long-term value.
Character:
Max exemplifies integrity and accountability in every stage of his leadership journey, ensuring that organizations feel both supported and challenged to reach their greatest potential. He consistently demonstrates fairness, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to strong ethical practices. His career reflects a deep respect for people, relationships, and the responsibility of stewardship in business.
Knowledge:
He brings an exceptional depth of industry expertise built through decades of global experience across fragrance, beauty, natural ingredients, and CPG markets. He applies both technical and commercial insight to guide teams through growth, transformation, and strategic decision-making. His ability to integrate governance, finance, operations, and market strategy makes him a rare and valuable advisor.
Strategic:
Max approaches every challenge with long-term vision, aligning organizational goals with market realities and emerging opportunities. He is adept at identifying inefficiencies, restructuring systems, and designing frameworks that create sustainable enterprise value. His strategic mindset enables him to scale businesses quickly while preserving operational discipline and risk management.
Communication:
A clear, confident, and compelling communicator who builds trust through transparency and collaboration. He excels at unifying cross-functional teams and translating complex challenges into actionable strategies. His global career reflects an ability to bridge cultures, markets, and perspectives through thoughtful communication and relationship building.
https://infinityfragrances.com/
