The American Society of Perfumers (ASP) has named John Gamba, senior perfumer at Givaudan, as the recipient of its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gamba will be formally honored on June 25 during the World Perfumery Congress in Monterey, California. The award celebrates Gamba’s prolific career, marked by his creative leadership and his role in mentoring the next generation of industry talent.
Gamba’s career began at the fragrance house Dragoco, where he rose from lab technician to a leading perfumer. Over a distinguished tenure that included 20 years at Givaudan, he developed award-winning scents for a global portfolio of brands.
His work spans categories and includes high-profile collaborations with Calvin Klein, Elizabeth Arden, and Bath & Body Works, as well as celebrity fragrance launches for Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. Gamba recently retired from Givaudan, leaving a legacy of scents that Roger Howell, president of the ASP, described as some of "the most memorable fragrances of our time"
