GEORGE SCHAEFFER

President & CEO, OPI Products Inc.

George Schaeffer has  built OPI Products Inc., the world's leading Professional Nail Care company, through an acute business sense and an extraordinary commitment to the Professional Beauty Industry and its needs.  But he has actually built even more.

George Schaeffer has built the American Dream.

Schaeffer immigrated to the United States from Hungary with his family in 1956.  After receiving his college degree from City College of New York, Schaeffer began his career in the family garment manufacturing business in NYC.

With an enormous appreciation for America and a dream of an even better lifestyle, Schaeffer heeded the famous words, "Go west, young man," and moved his family to California in 1981.

A Star Is Born

In Los Angeles, Schaeffer started on the path to what would make him a legend in the Beauty Industry. The path started in the most unlikely of places – a dental supply business that Schaeffer purchased called Odontorium Products Inc.  Schaeffer soon realized that the acrylic "porcelains" used to make dentures were similar to and, in fact, even better than the materials used by Nail Professionals for crafting acrylic nails.  Seizing upon the opportunity, Schaeffer applied his knowledge of Dental Technology to the Nail Industry to formulate superior products for Nail Technicians.

Partnering with a chemist, Schaeffer developed what has fondly become known as the "rubber band special," an acrylic system based on the dental formulas but developed specifically for nails (the bottles were held together with a rubber band). Schaeffer peddled the "rubber band special" door-to-door to nail salons in Los Angeles.  Once they tried it, Nail Technicians clamored for more of this  state-of-the-art system.

Keeping the initials of the dental supply company, Schaeffer started OPI Products Inc. in 1981 in a few square feet of office space in Hollywood, California.  But it wasn't long before Schaeffer began to miss the dynamics of the fashion industry and the thrill of working with colors; as a result, OPI entered the world of color in 1989 and grew to produce the world's best-loved professional Nail Lacquers.

The Colors of Success

OPI truly revolutionized the world of nail color with its Nail Lacquers.  With two extraordinary Collections each year, each themed around a specific geographic location and filled with 12 of that season's most fashion-forward shades, OPI brought the glamour back to nails, transforming them into an integral part of the style picture.

With Lacquer names so clever that customers can't stop talking about them, the company turned the idea of names like "Pink #2" and "Bright Red #1" into names like "Coney Island Cotton Candy" and "I'm Not Really a Waitress."  And with a Patented Lacquer Bottle, Ergonomic Cap, and ProWide® Brush designed for the ultimate in application, OPI has combined the world's most stunning colors with the highest quality Nail Lacquers imaginable.  Preferred by Professionals and favored by red-carpet celebrities, OPI Nail Lacquer is available in 200+ shades – and has generated a global Culture of Color.

A World of Opportunity

Under Schaeffer's guidance, OPI has grown since 1981 by continuing to keep Nail Professionals and their clients on the forefront of innovation with an entire range of state-of-the-art quality products for hands, feet, and nails.

OPI has been granted more than 30 Patents for its innovative product ideas.

The worldwide leader in Professional Nail Care, OPI is distributed in over 100 countries on six continents around the world – adding up to Schaeffer traveling more than 100,000 miles each year, meeting with Nail Professionals, listening to their needs, and then spearheading product development to answer those needs.

And back at home, the company has grown from that tiny two-room office in 1981 to a corporate headquarters of multiple buildings on over 7 acres of land in Hollywood.

Giving Something Back

Always a believer in giving something back in return for the good fortune that he enjoys, Schaeffer founded the Schaeffer Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization created to help those in need.  The Foundation has donated millions of dollars to charities worldwide, most notably the American Heart Association, the Leukemia Research Foundation, the American Red Cross, Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, Gilda's Club Worldwide, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Project HOPE International, Oceana, City of Hope, the National Kidney Foundation, and Breast Cancer awareness.

OPI regards its employees as family, and, as a result, awards computers and college scholarships to children of qualifying OPI employees.

Supporting the Professional Beauty Industry

Schaeffer is an active, influential force in the Professional Beauty Industry, continuing to fight the diversion of Professional Beauty Products and support Beauty Professionals.  As a founding member and Chairman of the Nail Manufacturers Council, his mission is to advance the Professional Nail Care Industry in legislative and regulatory matters.  He personally maintains a vital connection with those at every level of the industry from Nail Techs to Distributors and is committed to furthering the education of Beauty Professionals.  Schaeffer also devotes a great deal of his time to working on industry-related issues such as sanitization, health, and product safety.

Schaeffer is a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Beauty Association and a founding member of the Professional Beauty Federation.  He is a Board Member of the Manufacturers Leadership Council of the Professional Beauty Association, and a past member of its Governing Council.  In addition, he is on the Board of Directors of the Personal Care Products Council (formerly the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association), and is a Board Member of NABE (North American Beauty Events).  Schaeffer was also elected a Director of the International Nail Industry Federation of Japan.

Always a New Dream

When asked what's next, Schaeffer smiles.  With the continuing evolution of technology in the Professional Beauty Industry, certainly the newest, cutting-edge products from OPI are only an innovation away.  And with a mind for business and a heart for challenge, George Schaeffer knows that his next success story is just around the corner.

Schaeffer resides in Beverly Hills, California, and is the father of two.  His son, Robbie, owns ROB|B OPI Concept Salon in Studio City, California. His daughter, Nicole, is learning the OPI business firsthand.

SUZI WEISS-FISCHMANN

Executive Vice President & Artistic Director

"The First Lady of Nails"

Suzi Weiss-Fischmann is the Executive VP & Artistic Director of OPI Products Inc., the world leader in professional nail care. Suzi is known as the First Lady of Nails, because she single-handedly creates every OPI Nail Lacquer shade based on each season's fashion and beauty forecast. Suzi knows the trends because she sets the trends. Her passion for fashion and instinct for color are part of what make her style sense so special – and the reason women around the world love OPI. Fashion editors are always eager to hear the latest from Suzi; she is the beauty and color expert whom they rely on for her beauty and style insights and her winning Nail Lacquer color creations each season.

With an extensive background in the New York City garment industry and a degree from Hunter College, Suzi combines fashion-forward thinking with business-building savvy. Her Nail Lacquer creations each reflect the must-have shades found on designer runways, tempered by her own instincts for color. Suzi set off the "dark nails" revolution with OPI Lincoln Park After Dark Nail Lacquer, and the frenzy for dark blue nail shades with OPI Russian Navy Nail Lacquer. And who can forget the excitement over I'm Not Really a Waitress, the shade that has become OPI's bestseller. Lauded by beauty editors and consumers everywhere, these are just a few of the shades that have earned Suzi her First Lady status.

Suzi believes that exquisite nails continue to be an integral part of fashion, and that nothing completes a look more beautifully than nails wearing the season's most significant colors. "Changing a Nail Lacquer shade can change a woman's entire look – and her outlook," says Suzi. Women in over 100 countries around the world where OPI is sold agree with her and visit her beauty blog at www.suzisbeautyblog.com for tips on fashion, beauty, wellness, and more.In addition to setting new trends, Suzi makes the ongoing education of Nail Care Professionals a key priority. Throughout the year, OPI educators share the latest developments in salon hygiene and sanitation, new products, tools, techniques, and nail services with nail techs. ""It is this emphasis on complete education that makes our company unique," she says.

Overall, the guiding principle at OPI is quality and innovation, and Suzi's vision is to maintain the highest standards at all times. Both the OPI professional audience and consumers depend on the excellence of the company's products and the expertise behind them. "We are committed to remaining on the leading edge in the beauty industry and to delivering the very best," says Suzi. "We take great pride in our reputation for developing exceptional products that offer beautiful results."

Suzi's signature OPI Nail Lacquer shade? OPI Red.

ERIC SCHWARTZ

Chief Operating Officer

Eric Schwartz is the Chief Operating Officer of OPI Products Inc. Prior to joining OPI more than fifteen years ago, Schwartz held senior executive and board of director positions with several large Fortune 500 companies in the areas of operations, finance, administration, and law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland and a law degree from Georgetown University, and has practiced law with a large Wall Street firm.

In addition to his activities at OPI, Schwartz is the President and a member of the Board of Directors of the Professional Beauty Federation, a non-profit corporation made up of professional beauty organizations dedicated to promoting and protecting the Professional Beauty Industry.

Schwartz is Co-Chairman of the Safety and Standards Committee of the Nail Manufacturers Council of the Professional Beauty Association, a trade association of the largest manufacturers of professional nail care products.

He is also an active participant in the Personal Care Products Council (formerly the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association), the oldest and largest trade association representing the cosmetics industry.

On behalf of the cosmetics and nail industry, Schwartz has been active on a broad range of federal and state regulatory and legislative matters. He has been a proponent of elevating the standards of the profession and the industry, and has been in the forefront of efforts to address diversion of professional products.

WILLIAM HALFACRE

Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing

William (Bill) Halfacre is Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for OPI Products Inc. In this role, he oversees and works closely with the OPI Sales Team in servicing the needs of customers, as well as working with the OPI Marketing, Advertising/Design, and Educational Teams to support customers and the brand.

A veteran of the Professional Beauty Industry, Halfacre has held senior management and Chief Operating Officer positions within several of the industry's largest companies.

Prior to joining OPI, Halfacre was a Senior Vice President of Purchasing for Regis Corporation. He was also previously a member of the senior management team of Sally Beauty Company.

With more than 30 years of experience in store operations, distributor operations, merchandising, purchasing, marketing, warehouse operations, and sales – in both the domestic and international arenas – Halfacre's business acumen and his enthusiasm extend to virtually every segment of the Professional Beauty

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