Before leading Unilever Ventures, Olivier Garel spent about twenty years working inside Unilever on finance, strategy, and major acquisitions, and that background has shaped him into an investor who keeps a clear line between backing companies and Unilever's own acquisition plans while still helping grow the firm into one of the top investors in beauty and wellness. He also stood out for spotting India as a promising market for beauty and wellness startups early on, and he judges companies less by buzz and more by real signs of strength like a path to profit, healthy margins, smart inventory management, and a strong mix of online and offline sales.