Sophia Grojsman

Sophia Grojsman was born on March 8, 1945, in Lyubcha, Belarus, and grew up surrounded by roses and jasmine in her family's garden. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in analytical chemistry in Poland before emigrating to the United States in 1965. She joined International Flavors and Fragrances as a laboratory technician in 1966 and worked her way up under the mentorship of Josephine Catapano and Ernest Shiftan, eventually becoming a Vice President of IFF after nearly fifty years with the company.

Grojsman is celebrated for creating more than thirty bestselling fine fragrances. Her landmark creations include Yves Saint Laurent Paris, Calvin Klein Eternity for Women, Lancôme Trésor, Boucheron Jaipur, and Gloria Vanderbilt Vanderbilt. She received the Fragrance Foundation's Perfumer of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and mentored the next generation of talent at Firmenich, including Honorine Blanc.