H&H Group: A Global Firm with Chinese Origins (A)

This case study describes the simultaneous evolution of both Health and Happiness (H&H) International Holdings Limited (referred hereafter as "H&H") and the senior executive protagonist, Laetitia Garnier. The instructor followed the history of company as it evolved from a single-product company in China (then known as Biostime) to a global group encompassing multiple brands following a series of acquisitions. This expansion allowed H&H to gain synergies across their value chain and shared channels in different continents, leading to an impressive growth in revenue and profits. This rapid progression was not without its growing pains, however. The case reveals several problems that H&H was facing with regards to cultural integration, particularly following their largest acquisition of the Australian supplement provider, Swisse. Meanwhile, the company's founder and CEO, Luo Fei, also finds himself wondering whether he should stay on in the CEO role or if it is time for him to relinquish the reigns to someone new like Laetitia Garnier, a female leader with rich experience in business management who has been with the company for almost a decade.