L’Oréal’s Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer Is Stepping Down
PARIS — L’Oréal’s chief corporate responsibility officer Alexandra Palt will step down from her job on April 1.
The French beauty giant said in a statement Wednesday evening that the executive is to leave the company to focus “on personal endeavors.”
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Palt, who served in the role for 12 years, is to be succeeded by Ezgi Barcenas. She will join L’Oréal on March 1 from AB InBev, where the executive has been chief sustainability officer and member of the group’s senior leadership team.
Palt has broadly impacted L’Oréal, helping the company define and work toward climate change and biodiversity preservation targets. She also introduced group- and worldwide transparency actions, such as Product Impact Labelling and the EcoBeautyScore.
Four years ago, Palt introduced L’Oréal for the Future, an operational road map to help transform the company’s business while respecting the boundaries of planet Earth.
L’Oréal earned a Triple-A rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project eight consecutive times during Palt’s tenure.
“Her pioneering vision has also helped L’Oréal Groupe expand its role in society through various philanthropic programs, most notably through the Fondation L’Oréal and its For Women in Science international awards program, a well as through the L’Oréal Fund for Women supporting grassroots organizations fighting violence against women and promoting their empowerment worldwide,” said L’Oréal in a statement.
Palt launched two investment funds: L’Oréal Fund for Nature Regeneration and the Circular Innovation Fund.
She joined L’Oréal as chief sustainability officer in 2013, then was named to the executive committee as chief corporate responsibility officer in 2019. Palt is to remain in that role in the foundation until June 30, then take a seat on the foundation’s board.
“I would like to thank Alexandra for her engagement, which over the past 12 years has triggered a profound transformation of L’Oréal’s economic and societal model, deeply integrated with planetary boundaries as defined by environmental sciences,” said Nicolas Hieronimus, chief executive officer of L’Oréal.
“Her courage, energy and vision have enabled L’Oréal to become a pioneering enterprise, expert at delivering positive economic and extra-financial performance,” he continued. “The choice of Ezgi Barcenas, a recognized business and climate leader, to succeed Alexandra is a strong sign of L’Oréal’s reiterated commitment to its sustainability transformation and to social responsibility.”
Barcenas has spent a decade at Ab InBev, where she established and ran the global sustainability function, including road-mapping the company’s net-zero by 2040 goal. The executive also oversaw the group’s sustainability startup program, 100+ Accelerator.
“Based in New York, she led cross-functional teams focused on agricultural development, water management, circular packaging and climate action to build a resilient and prosperous value chain spanning nearly 50 countries,” L’Oréal said.
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