Dara Quinlan

Vice President, Creation Hub Leader FFE, NAM dsm-firmenich

Dara Quinlan’s early years were spent on four continents and in eight different countries: Belgium, England, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Denmark, and finally in North America. The peripatetic life she shared with her family afforded her experiences which gave her an understanding that the world is a diverse and fascinating place. That knowledge, along with an innate curiosity about people and a desire for a career balancing the worlds of business and art, proved to be the perfect background for a global fragrance executive.

Dara spent her high school years at Phillips Exeter Academy from which she graduated cum laude and where she continues to serve as a Major Gift co-Chair. She attended Georgetown University, graduating cum laude as well.

She began her professional fragrance career at Firmenich in 1996 where she became the company’s first-ever fine fragrance FDM trainee, successfully completing a program which continues to flourish today under her direction. Over her 30 year career at Firmenich and later, dsm-firmenich, she has built expert skills in the FDM métier and has developed fragrances for nearly all of Firmenich’s business partners across niche, prestige, mass, and specialty categories as well as some strategic body care opportunities. In addition, she spent two years as an sales account executive, gaining broader industry experience and perspective.

Today Dara is the Vice President and Creation Hub Leader for Fine Fragrance Experience based in New York City where she leads a team of Fragrance Development Managers and is responsible for overseeing olfactive strategy and development across the Prestige, Specialty and New Business pillars. She also  oversees the New York City – based Fine Fragrance Experience creation and application laboratories.  She serves on the Global Fine Fragrance Leadership team whose goal is to develop long term initiatives and plans for the company’s global fine fragrance experience organization. Dara has been a CEW Board Member since 2020.