MANAGEMENT BIOGRAPHIES
Herbie Dayal
CEO KMI Brands
Herbie Dayal is the mastermind behind KMI Brands, one of the country’s fastest growing toiletry and fragrance companies, currently celebrating a raft of new ventures including the acquisition of Naked Bodycare and the global licence for Orla Kiely fragrance.
Herbie brings to the role a wealth of international business experience. Starting his career as Assistant to the VP International for Copeland Corporation - an American industrial goods manufacturer, he then worked as a management consultant for Booz Allen and Hamilton dealing principally in restructuring and corporate strategy projects for a range of FTSE 100 companies including Sainsbury’s, Renault and Peugeot.
In 1990 Herbie launched his own consultancy and in 1993 founded the iconic King of Shaves and KMI alongside Will King. The combined business acumen of its founders meant that the new companies enjoyed unparalled success in the toiletries arena, growing their portfolio at an inspiring rate:
- 1998:
- Acquired worldwide licence for fragrances and cosmetics with Ted Baker plc. and launched Ted Baker fragrances in Selfridges.
- 2000:
- Launched Fish styling and Soho Style products in Boots.
- 2003:
- Acquired Fish for KMI.
- 2008:
- Acquired Floraroma Ltd, owner of Dead Sea Source, Little Me, Phil Smith haircare and Beautifully Delicious amongst others.
- 2009:
- Demerged King of Shaves out of KMI into The King of Shaves Company Ltd, installed new team and infrastructure for KMI in Teddington, Middlesex and bought Naked Bodycare, the leading natural brand in hair, washing and bathing. Ended this very difficult trading year with substantial profits on retail sales of £40m.
- 2010:
- Acquired Orla Kiely fragrance licence worldwide.
In addition to his full time, full on role as one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs in his field, Herbie also mentors the founders of United Perfumes Ltd, a high end distributor of home fragrances, candles and diffusers stocked in select stores including Selfridges, Liberty and Harvey Nichols.
Outside the boardroom Herbie participates in a number of sports including golf (he is a member of St. Andrews and Stoke Park clubs), sailing as a member of the Royal Southampton Yacht club as well as being a keen mountain walking and amateur climber.
Herbie also enjoys a diverse range of interests in addition to his sporting achievements. These include architecture; Herbie has built an ultra modern glass Huf Haus in Buckinghamshire where he lives with his wife and two teenage children, as well as art, literature, design and... as you might expect... the stock markets! Herbie spends a lot of time traveling, both for work and for pleasure mainly to Asia; Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia where he also has some property investments.
Product that’s most revolutionised the beauty industry: Aftershave - The industry used to sell fragrance in the form of perfume to women. Men never bought any. So the industry created “aftershave”. Men shave, therefore the word seemed acceptable (rather than perfume,) and it was used to splash on your face after shaving and hurt like hell – therefore it was manly and not sissy. Advertisements included Henry Cooper, a man’s man and product names included Brut, Hi Karate and other distinctly masculine names. This move created the huge male fragrance business. Without aftershave we would not have Davidoff, Issye Miyake for Men nor even Lynx.
Favourite fragrance: At the moment Escentric 02. My wife bought it for herself but I love its unusual and yet very appealing scent.
