Ricardo Fisas, the legacy
Born in 1929, Ricardo Fisas was educated by the Jesuits, an order he was a member of until the age of 32. He first came into contact with the world of work as an assistant in the marketing department at Nestlé. After working for a consulting firm, in 1967 he was named president of chewing gum manufacturer Wrigley in Spain, a position he held until 1973.
He was subsequently president of a protein hydrolyzing company until he was laid off at the age of 50. That is when he decided to launch his own business venture, which he named Natura Bissé. The company was dedicated to cosmetic products, and is today a world leader in its sector.
After handing the business down to the next generation of the family in 2008, Ricardo Fisas and his wife Gloria Vergés focused their energies on a humanitarian project which they had had in mind for a number of years: setting up their own foundation.
Ricardo Fisas’ personal and professional lives are summarized in his autobiography “Brushstrokes of a Lifetime”, written in 2009. What will linger most clearly in everyone’s memories are the genius and perseverance of someone who knew how to balance his family, professional and philanthropic lives perfectly. All revenue from the sale of the book goes to the Foundation.
The Ricardo Fisas Natura Bissé foundation is a non-profit organization which contributes to the wellbeing of disadvantaged people.
“We feel the need to come together to help disadvantaged people, to play our small part in the world and offer the fruits of our labors to a good cause”.
His motto
This was Ricardo Fisas’ call to action to those around him. In his own words…
“My favorite motto has always been a call to action, the famous ‘Let’s do it’…”
“I am a very good orchestra conductor, but without my team I would have achieved nothing.”
“As a youngster, I was very selfish… Now I get up every morning asking myself what I can do for others instead of thinking about myself.
“I feel all companies have a role to play in society… to give back to society as much as they receive from it. I want to give back to women everything they have given to me…
“… see what can be done from this point on. This is what my wife and I had in mind when we created the Foundation”.
His signature
Chosen as the Foundation’s logo for its strength and symbolic weight, Ricardo Fisas signature represents the unique personality of the NATURA BISSÉ founder.
Graphological analysis defined him as being an open and generous person, a skilful communicator and emotionally intelligent. He could also be impulsive which, at times, meant he did not think before acting. He himself noted:
“… My qualities are not to my credit, they were given to me, and I have always tried to make the best possible use of them. Without the help of my wife and children, NATURA BISSÉ would not be the same”.
His commandments
Ricardo Fisas created a set of personal commandments for making those around him a little happier. It is a legacy he wanted to pass on to his children and grandchildren, and we believe it is worth sharing: