In his letter, Lauder credited Bousquet-Chavanne with developing the travel retail operation into "a highly successful global branded operation with a presence in more than 135 countries and territories." As president of international, Lauder added, "Patrick was the catalyst for the successful international expansion [of] MAC Cosmetics and Origins, and the entry of Clinique into Poland and Vietnam."

In 2001, he was named a group president in charge of the Estée Lauder and MAC brands, along with Aramis and the Designer Fragrances division. During this period, "he was instrumental in establishing two regional Product Development Centers in Paris and Tokyo," the letter said. In 2005, his responsibilities were refocused to include corporate strategic opportunities, such as Lauder's entry into the European pharmacy channel with the acquisition of Darphin. He also oversaw the Specialty Brands Division, including Crème de la Mer, Bobbi Brown and Jo Malone.

"Patrick will work closely with Fabrizio Freda and me on the smooth transition of his responsibilities, and an announcement regarding his direct reports will be forthcoming," Lauder said in the letter without elaboration.

A spokeswoman said that no decision has been reached on either the question of a possible successor or what changes will be made to the management structure. When Shearer left, he was not replaced.

Clearly change is in the wind at Lauder. When William Lauder was asked in November why he felt compelled to reach beyond the company's deep pool of top marketing talent, he acknowledged that his top executives averaged 25 years of experience each. "It brings a great deal of experience," he said then, adding that there is also a danger of "not seeing other opportunities. What Fabrizio brings is another flavor to our stew."