Hans Van Bylen: In Schwarzkopf’s history there have been three major stages of development: the founding years, the period after its acquisition by Henkel, and the vigorous expansion of the past few years. The basis for the business was created in the founding years through ground-breaking inventions in hair care and styling. The first powder shampoo around 1900 and the first hair spray are just two of many examples. The next stage began in 1995 when Schwarzkopf became part of Henkel. This marked the beginning of systematic brand management in both the retail and the professional hairdressing markets. The salon sector was positioned as Schwarzkopf Professional, and in the retail sector Schwarzkopf became the master brand for hair products such as Taft, Gliss, Schauma and Palette. In recent years we have further expanded Schwarzkopf’s potential by pursuing a vigorous international growth strategy. Outstanding innovations and international product launches have vastly broadened the brand’s scope. Over the past three years, Schwarzkopf has become the fastest-growing hair cosmetics brand in Europe. Since 1995, its sales have more than tripled, from 500 million euros to 1.6 billion euros in 2007. The brand’s strength is reflected in its market share gains. Shining examples of Schwarzkopf’s development are two Schwarzkopf brands, the styling expert Taft and the Palette hair coloring line, which have each achieved European market leadership in their segments.