Bernard Mas, the founder of family-run French spa and skincare group Sothys International, has died aged 83 years.

Originally trained as a French teacher, Mas became the CEO of Sothys in 1966 at just 26 years old after his family acquired the company (established as a French beauty institute in 1946).

His goal was to expand the company’s global presence, range and availability.

Today, Sothys International is a global brand which distributes products exclusively through professional spas worldwide, spanning 20,000 facilities in 120 countries.

Since 1966, the group has created, developed and distributed through three brands: Sothys Paris, Bernard Cassière and Beauty Garden.

Mas nurtured the group into what it is today and was the mastermind behind the establishment of the group’s training academy in the late seventies – which still exists today as the Sothys Academy – and created the company's flagship production unit in Corrèze in Auriac.

In 2006, Mas designed and launched the iconic Les Jardins Sothys – four hectares of stunning botanical gardens on the edge of a lake and the Dordogne Valley which the Mas family still relies on today to provide inspiration and guide their company’s creations. What’s more, the organic flowers, plants and vegetables grown at the gardens are used in formulations.

Mas credited the brand’s success to his close collaboration with his brothers, colleagues and later on to his sons – Christian and Frédéric – who were inspired by their Father’s passion for the family business.

In 2023, the sons head up the group with Christian serving as president of Sothys Paris and VP of Sothys International while Frédéric works as president of Sothys International and VP of Sothys Paris.

“Bernard’s passion for innovation and his taste for entrepreneurship allowed him to transform the small business into an international group,” announced Sothys in a statement.

“He was a born leader who understood the importance of being well-surrounded to embark on a great adventure.”

The group had planned to remove Bernard's name from the Bernard Cassière brand in 2024, but after its founder’s passing, the company will keep the original name in tribute to Mas.