Mr Toni Mascolo Co-Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive, TONI&GUY
Toni Mascolo OBE, co-founder of the TONI&GUY empire has enjoyed a career that spans over 45 years and has been directly responsible for changing the face of modern hairdressing.
The past . . .
Toni Mascolo arrived in England in 1956 at the age of fourteen with his mother and brothers, to join his father Francesco Mascolo and to start a new life. Having learnt the skills and trade from his father, by sixteen he was already the Manager of a large salon. In 1963 Giuseppe and Gaetano changed their names to Toni and Guy and opened the first TONI&GUY salon in Clapham, South London. Soon after, they were joined by Bruno and Anthony their younger brothers and the TONI&GUY philosophy was born.
In the 1970's the Mascolo brothers instigated the development of education. This was the fundamental base for the growth of Toni & Guy. They started with the first academy in St Christopher's place, holding regular courses for beginners and advanced and performing shows and educational seminars all across the globe. Then saw the launch of the first educational video and step by step hairdressing book. The PR & image became stronger and the brothers started putting all the fundamentals in place like the right tools of the trade, the best scissors, brushes and a uniform recognisable for their staff. The 80s then saw the launch of a professional product line for TONI&GUY salons which heralded the arrival of TIGI which today has been replaced by label m.
Throughout the ensuing decades, TONI&GUY won countless awards and accolades for business and artistic achievement and the group grew throughout the UK and worldwide.
The present . . .
A family long associated with the hairdressing profession, tradition lives on with the next generation of Mascolo's following in their father's footsteps. Toni's eldest son Christian is Managing Director of Essensuals hairdressing. Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck, Toni's daughter, a highly respected hairdresser in her own right and Global Creative Director of TONI&GUY group, directs the global brand image and creative direction, while Sacha's husband James Tarbuck heads the TONI&GUY Media Department incorporating PR, Design and TV.
The driving force behind this hugely successful business, with an annual turnover in excess of £175 million, Toni Mascolo ensures that his company continues to grow from strength to strength. With over 400 salons in 41 different countries, ensuring careers for over 8000 employees. In addition to opening salons, Toni has helped to redefine the educational structure of hairdressing, creating a unique ongoing educational system that has become the backbone of TONI&GUY, is practiced at TONI&GUY Academies worldwide and provided the blueprint for modern hairdressing education.
In 2001, Toni decided to put his name to a new commercially developed product line, in partnership with Boots - the largest retailer of hairdressing products. Following a re-launch of the range in 2007, TONI&GUY 'Signature' haircare is now sold in 52 countries globally.
label.m Professional Haircare was first introduced as a concept in 2005 as TONI&GUY's exclusive salon professional haircare range created by the International Artistic Team - overseen by Global Creative Director Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck. The label.m success story continued with a global launch that took place in the summer of 2008, with new packaging and what is now known as the 4C's system of label.m. Since then the range has grown extensively and now comprises nearly 50 products - including the brand's first ever Certified Organics range - a Lemongrass infused shampoo and conditioner - its first Organic skincare product in the form a luxurious Body Butter. Label.m also incorporates a patent pending technology called 'Enviroshield' (a new type of UV inhibiter) which is also key element of the range.
Currently label.m is now available in 55 countries globally with four new markets pending.
This diversification has helped Toni to create and maintain a strong corporate identity and fulfil the needs of the ever-growing 'parent' company. Another company-owned venture is Mascolo Group, which supplies all TONI&GUY salons with furniture and equipment and handles salon distribution. Mascolo Group is also an established project management company that designs and oversees the creation of the TONI&GUY salons from building services, commercial and residential property acquisitions, as well as both internal and external construction and maintenance.
Mascolo Support Systems was set up to support the salons with all their information technology needs, from making appointments in an electronic diary, on-line bookings, marketing, to maintaining their client database, controlling stock levels/usage and accepting payments in different currencies. Mascolo-Styles controls the financial and accountancy side of the franchised network, and is an important part of the growth of the company, Franchise Development & Legal, supply in excess of a hundred franchises and other independent companies with management accounting services, business start-up, funding services, specialised expansion planning services, renewals, leases and instructing legal's.
Essensuals, a second hairdressing chain was established in 1997 representing the next generation of salons from TONI&GUY. This company is directed by Toni's eldest son Christian and has 66 salons throughout the world at the present time.
TONI&GUY Media is an in house media agency, headed by Toni's son- in -law James Tarbuck, incorporating PR, Design, TONI&GUY.TV and TONI&GUY magazine completing the range of central support systems.
Toni won the coveted title of 'London Entrepreneur 2000' in the Consumer Products and Services category of the 'London Entrepreneur of the Year' Awards. This annual event gives recognition to entrepreneurs, for their important contribution to the UK economy. Toni has also been a finalist in the "Franchisor of the Year" awards in both 2002 and 2003. On the 11th October 2006 Toni received his Italian Knighthood, Cavalliere Ufficiale and had an awards ceremony here in the UK at the home of the Italian Ambassador, in June 2008 Toni was awarded a Fibell award. The Fibell Award celebrates and recognises the activities of individuals who have played an outstanding and significant role in promoting enterprise skills and attitudes in others in medical and scientific, image and body care sectors, Toni was awarded an OBE for his services to Hairdressing in October 2008, a Humanitarian Award for his outstanding commitment to Charity at the Hair & Beauty Benevolent in February 2009, and most recently Toni picked up two awards at the Mr in June 2009 and they were; Franchisor of The Year award and Outstanding Contribution to Hairdressing award.
Toni is also involved in many fundraising and charitable causes. A subject close to his heart, Toni and his wife Pauline established the TONI&GUY Charitable Foundation in January 2003. The Charitable Foundation is currently sponsoring the construction of a 'state of the art' children's ward within the Variety Club Children's' hospital, Kings College, London. Toni also continues to support L'Oasi Regina Degli Angeli, helping Father Carmine Zacchariello build a Church in his native Italy to aid in the construction of a centre and accommodation which offers support to those people who are at a disadvantage due to physical or psychological problems, or vulnerable children and young people from all over the world such as Albania and Africa to escape problems of abuse.
The future . . .
The TONI&GUY empire continues to grow, with Toni intrinsically involved in all areas of its development and passionately committed to maintaining the family ethos that has served the company so well.
Another venture has seen Toni enter previously un-chartered territories, with a chain of Cafés, 'Caffe Fratelli'. Having opened five outlets in their first year, Caffe Fratelli is set to be every bit as successful as Toni's ventures in hairdressing. Toni has also launched the first TONI&GUY Opticians.
