TOUS CEO at Esade: “Non-conformity is part of our company’s DNA”
“At TOUS we are always stepping outside our comfort zone: non-conformity is part of the company”, explained Carlos Soler Duffo, CEO of TOUS and former Esade student (Lic&MBA ‘96), at the latest session of Matins Esade entitled “Foresight: leverage for the future”.
The director gave an overview of the company’s historical milestones since its creation in 1920 by the grandfather of the current generation, Salvador Tous Blavi, and the generational handover of the business in 1965 to the married couple Salvador Tous and Rosa Oriol. They adopted a new approach to “the part jewelry plays in people’s everyday lives” and in 1985 they created the famous TOUS bear. “Rosa Oriol forged a link between this bear and people’s feelings – and an icon was born.” The company now has more than 700 stores in more than 45 countries around the globe, employing more than 4,000 professionals, in addition to its online presence.
Historic landmarks and evolution
Between 1990 and 2000, the company began its growth phase. Soler explains that “people became increasingly interested in our brand and it quickly spread across Spain as a shared franchise arrangement: the start of a new business model.” In 2000, TOUS leapt into the international arena and quickly opened stores in several countries. It was also at this time that the company expanded into categories including bags and sunglasses with considerable success.
In 2015, a Swiss capital fund, Partners Group, entered the TOUS equity in a move that meant “pushing ahead and anticipating changes in governance.” At this point, “the family business started to become much more professional.”
In the year of its centenary, TOUS Next was launched for the 2021-23 period. A transversal transformation based on three cornerstones: focus on the customer, sustainability and more efficient processes. During this phase, the SUOT Studio was created too with Marta Tous at the helm, “this is a project driven by the TOUS Group with the aim of experimenting with new formulae and fields of action.”
Finally, 2022 showcases the evolution of the brand in a reflection of the company’s determination to bolster “the disruptive and innovative approach that we believe the company must have,” declared Carlos Soler Duffo, CEO of TOUS and former Esade student, at Matins Esade.
Matins Esade are meetings where the leaders of foremost companies and institutions address their own obstacles and challenges, and reflect upon their careers in them.
