Mariano Puig Planas passes away at age 94
A founding member of the Family Business Institute in Spain, the former President of Puig was recognized early on for his leadership and business skills
Puig sadly announces the death of Mariano Puig Planas, member of the second generation of the Puig family and former President of Puig. Born in Barcelona in 1927, he earned a doctorate degree in chemical engineering and was a 1964 graduate of IESE Business School. Married to María Guasch, he had four sons and one daughter.
Beginning in his youth, Mariano Puig stood out for his leadership abilities and a sense for business growth, establishing important ties with the United States, the Caribbean and France. After closing a distribution agreement for the fragrance Agua Lavanda Puig in the United States at the end of the 1950s, Mariano Puig acquired representation of the brand Max Factor, distributing it in Spain for more than 15 years.
His experience in the United States led him in 1968 to take the leap to Paris, where he signed a collaboration agreement with the designer Paco Rabanne for the creation of his fragrances. It was the beginning of the company’s international expansion. Years later, in 1987, he reached an agreement with the designer Carolina Herrera to produce her perfumes, also negotiating in 1995, the purchase of her fashion division.
In addition to being a founding member of the Family Business Institute in Spain, of which he was president from 1995 to 1997, Mariano Puig was:
Member of the FBN and the European Family Business
Member of the International Board of IESE Business School, Barcelona Member of the International Board of the University of Barcelona Member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Language Foundation, Madrid Patron of the Princess of Asturias Foundation
Member of the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado, Madrid
Member of the Business Advisory Board of ESE Business School Member of the International Advisory Board de IAE Business School Universidad de los Andes, Santiago de Chile
Member of the University Advisory Board of the UIC
Universidad Austral de Buenos Aires
An athlete as a young man and passionate about the sea, Mariano Puig was a member of the Spanish National Water-Skiing Team, becoming the Champion of Spain twice.
He was president of the Spanish Federation of Water Skiing and, under his presidency, organized the World Championships at Bañoles in 1971.
In 1999, he was awarded the Gold Medal from the Spanish Institute of New York, also obtaining the Silver Medal for Sports Merit (1963) and the Medal for Naval Merit (white badge) in 1996.
In 1998, he received on behalf of the Puig family the Distinguished Family Business Award in Lausanne, presented by IMD and in 2003, the Family Business Award from Kellogg University in Chicago.
In 2014, he received the Medal of Honor for Promotion of Business Careers and in 2016, the Gold Medal for Merit in Work, presented by the Ministry of Work and Social Security of the Spanish Government.
In February 2019, he was presented by King Felipe VI the Kingdom of Spain Award for his business career in an event held at IESE in Barcelona.
He will be deeply missed.
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