Quantum² : InfoStars : Gemma Giró

Gemma Giró

Puig's Gemma Giró

Gemma Giró is head of information and regulatory affairs at the research center for Puig Beauty and Fashion Group in Spain. Puig is an international fragrance, cosmetics and fashion company that was founded in 1914 in Barcelona, Spain and is still family owned. It has over 4,000 employees.

Puig's portfolio main brands include Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne, Prada, Comme des Garçons, Payot.

While the greater part of Puig's operations remain in the fragrance and cosmetics sectors both through own and licensed brands, the Group also manages fashion and style developments for its 3 prestige own brands: Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci and Paco Rabanne.

Today, the company has directly owned subsidiaries in 23 countries and a presence in over 150 countries. Puig has a leading presence in Spain and Latin America.

Giró is one of Dialog's three 2008 European InfoStar winners, an award given annually to information professionals in the region. She was selected for the honor for promoting the role of information professionals in the research process by showcasing their value in research and development. Giró maintained the high quality output of three teams — information intelligence, registration information and technical assistance — during a period of remarkable reorganization and restructuring in her organization.

At Puig, Giró and two other information specialists comprise the research information center, which focuses on information sharing and regulatory affairs. Like many other modern libraries, the one at Puig's information center has undergone some radical changes in recent years, Giro said.

"We have a modern information center, which was created in 2000. Before, we had only a very simple library in our laboratory with some magazines and chemical books," she explained. "Now our information service and resources are 90 percent web-based. Some traditional cosmetic magazines are still read in print, but all specific information needs are electronically queried."

Giró said that tracking down information is interesting because the answer she seeks could literally be anything.

"All information that satisfies the user's needs is important for making a decision in their daily work," she said. "Sometimes, their happiness relates not to the time you've spent searching for it. It is curious, but on some occasions they congratulate you on the simplest searches you've made."

Puig's information needs tend to be external, Giró explained, saying that most of the information her team provides to users is about the perfume and cosmetics market or factors impacting it.

"We perceived external information as a key factor to success. One of our information needs is to acquire a deep knowledge of the perfumery and cosmetic toiletries market trends and most innovative products in the market, including concepts, formulations and worldwide regulations," she said. "We try to monitor and follow all information sources about it."

Giró is a member of SEQC, the Spanish Society of Chemical Cosmetics.