Former Inolex CEO and cosmetic industry entrepreneur Conrad Plimpton has died in Tucson, Arizona aged 83.
Plimpton began his career at McKinsey & Company, focusing on technology investments, and later worked as an investment banker at Kuhn Loeb & Co.
In 1975, he founded Plimpton & Company, dedicated to buying and building businesses, with a strong emphasis on supporting people and entrepreneurs.
In 1981, he led the buyout of Inolex, where he served as Chairman and CEO until 2013.
Today, Inolex is an ingredient design firm serving the health, beauty, and wellness industries and remains an independent, multigenerational family investment.
Plimpton was also instrumental in the acquisition of Troy Corporation, a company focused on safe preservation technologies, in 1983, and remained a long-term investor and director until its eventual sale to Arxada.
In 2018, he co-founded Sustainable Botanicals International, focused on traceable, sustainable natural ingredients for the beauty industry.
Plimpton was a well-known and widely respected figure in the cosmetics industry.
“Conrad led a remarkable life characterized by enthusiasm, deep commitment to loved ones, and an enduring spirit of adventure. He will be deeply missed by many. His vibrant energy, generous spirit, and unwavering devotion to family and friends left a lasting impact on all who knew him,” said an Inolex spokesman.
“He will be remembered for traveling tens of millions of miles to meet people, attending conferences and trade shows, and consistently building relationships across the global personal care community,” he added.
Plimpton is survived by his wife of 62 years, Grace Ann; his sons, David (Stacy), Conrad II “Steve” (Rebecca), and Michael; and his daughter, Sarah Liebowitz (Marc).
He is also survived by eighteen grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, his younger brother Jonathan (Anne), and two nephews.
Conrad A. Plimpton, born 26 August 1943 of Princeton, New Jersey, and Tucson, Arizona, passed away on 19 April at Tucson Medical Center Hospice, Peppi’s House, from pneumonia and related health complications..
