TheIndustry.beauty Awards Winners' Interview: Simon Ford, General Manager for Europe & Middle East, Malin+Goetz

In this series, TheIndustry.beauty continues to celebrate the achievements of the winning brands from TheIndustry.beauty Awards 2025 through a collection of dedicated interviews.

With the Awards dedicated to 'The Innovators' of the industry, we set out to uncover the forward-thinking strategies behind their success. From our winners, we discover everything from the importance of innovation and the trends influencing the next wave of beauty to the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the sector today.

Malin+Goetz was founded in New York in 2004 by Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz, who set out to uncomplicate skincare. With limited shelf space in their small apartment, they started the brand with six essential products designed to work for all skin types and have since expanded into fragrance, with their Tomato Room Spray winning New Product: Home Fragrance at TheIndustry.beauty Awards earlier this year.

In this exclusive interview, Simon Ford, General Manager for Europe & the Middle East at Malin+Goetz, tells TheIndustry.beauty all about the award-winning product and what sets it apart. He also discusses the biggest opportunities and challenges in the beauty sector today, as well as the strategies that are critical for staying ahead of competitors and meeting consumer demand.

What are the core values that drive Malin + Goetz and how are they reflected in the business? 

Established in New York in 2004, the ethos of Malin+Goetz has always been to decode the beauty industry to provide uncomplicated and uncompromising solutions. This translates into offering highly effective, multitasking products that deliver results in fewer steps. This “less-but-better” approach is best experienced in our two-step routine for face, body, and hair.

What’s your approach to identifying gaps in the market, and how do you transform those insights into successful, consumer-loved products? 

Every year, we run a consumer survey and ask our audience directly what products they are looking for from us, and of course, we have our in-store teams who listen to our customers and feed back to us every day. When you combine this direct-to-customer relationship with a constant, ingredient-first monitoring approach to the industry, you can find the sweet spot for new product development.

The Tomato Home Spray won at TheIndustry.beauty awards. In your view, what set this product apart and resonated most with the judges (and wider consumers generally)? 

This product was the first of its kind for Malin+Goetz. I think it's not just the special fragrance; it's the fact that this product also actively tackles odours with a neutralising complex that's clinically proven for up to two hours. And it does this without the usual alcohol base found in most home fragrance (so it's also pet-friendly!).

What was the significance of winning New Product: Home Fragrance award for The Tomato Home Spray? 

As the Malin+Goetz entry into a completely new category, it's really wonderful to have an award to recognise the hard work of the teams in creating this new product type and format.

Can you share some insights into the development process behind the product? What were the key priorities you focused on to ensure the product delivered on performance, scent and overall user experience.

The road to developing our first home spray was indeed quite long! We really wanted to get it right, as our customers associate our brand with high design. So we spent a long time working on the right shape of the custom glass bottle that would really elevate the gesture of using the spray. We also, of course, wanted to deliver optimal performance - the main goal being the effectiveness of the spray to clear the air of unwanted odours and have longevity. We are delighted the trial yielded such great results, with the innovative odour-neutralising technology targeting and reducing unsavoury odours by more than 98%, creating lasting freshness for up to two hours.

What do you think are the biggest opportunities and challenges in the beauty sector today? 

The market is increasingly crowded and, with so many new entrants, it's possible for well-established brands to stray from their core purpose in the pursuit of trends and short-term sales. At Malin+Goetz, we innovate to meet specific customer needs, responding to the ways they live their lives, with a highly curated selection of products. This is evident in our effective travel solutions, clinically proven deodorants, and our new skin innovation - the multi-benefit Niacinamide Restorative Cream.

What does it mean to be an innovator in the beauty industry today? 

True innovation is realised at the junction between need and performance. If there's a customer need that hasn't been addressed in an existing product, or if there's a level of performance that can be improved through new ingredients or formats, then we should innovate for it. If neither of these is true, then it's just confection.

What trends are influencing the next wave of innovation in beauty? 

The continued overlap between wellness and beauty will have a greater impact on consumer product choices, and ingredients seen in ingestibles are also having an impact on formulation innovations and development. For example, at Malin+Goetz, we've incorporated the incredible antioxidant potential of Nameko Mushroom into our new Niacinamide Restorative Cream.

How does Malin + Goetz maintain its position as a leader in the industry? What strategies are critical to staying ahead of competitors and meeting consumer demand? 

I think the selective distribution choices of the brand help forge long-standing relationships with our customer base. Our annual survey tells us that our customers are “life-junkies” (as opposed to “beauty junkies”), favouring travel, culture, dining out, and experiences rather than spending hours in front of the mirror. It's therefore crucial to show up where they are - in the key cities of the world, and with our new (MALIN+GO) concept entering travel retail to support them during their journeys. For the ultimate brand fans, we have our freestanding stores where our customers can immerse themselves in the world of Malin+Goetz, receiving personalised advice from our associates and experiencing our full product range.

What can customers expect from Malin + Goetz over the next year? Any exciting innovations or new product developments can we expect? 

We launched our Niacinamide Restorative Cream in September with a major campaign, including a pop-up at London Fashion Week, followed by our Holiday By Design Christmas collection. 2026 will see further skincare innovation, including a new all-purpose product in two size formats for home + away, and a big brand collaboration within our fragrance portfolio...

TheIndustry.beauty Innovators Awards is back for 2026 to recognise beauty brands and retailers who are pushing boundaries and driving positive change. 

This time, we have a new home: The Nobu Hotel, London Portman Square. We’ve added more categories to celebrate all of the achievements of our beloved beauty industry, including ‘iconic product categories’ as we recognise innovation doesn’t just come from new products.

We’ve also launched a new SUPER EARLY BIRD RATE, letting you save £100 on each entry!

ENTER NOW AND BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE.

For partner and sponsorship opportunities, please contact partnerships@theindustry.beauty for further information.

Supporters of these awards will not only benefit from being associated with supporting leading lights but will also gain from meaningful in-person networking, profile raising, and the positive association gained from supporting innovation.