The Board of Directors
The balance of powers at L’Oréal in a Board of Directors that is independent, highly committed and vigilant.
Highly committed, independent, balanced in its composition and enriched with the diversity of its members, the Board of Directors determines the Company’s strategic orientations, ensuring and monitoring their implementation and overseeing the good management thereof. The organisation of L’Oréal’s Board of Directors is adapted to the Company’s specificities and constant progress is always sought: a stable and loyal shareholding structure, expertise that is solely focused on the beauty profession, the remarkable loyalty of its senior managers, who have a thorough knowledge of the business, and a progressive and steady international growth and solid economic and financial performances. This streamlined mode of governance, with expanded remits for board committees that are free to organise their work in preparing for the Board’s deliberations, simplifies decision-making in the beauty profession, where requirements in terms of innovation and adaptation are very exacting.
L'Oréal's Board of Directors is made up of talented individuals, from different backgrounds who have extensive experience of the business.
Composition of the board of directors: a diverse board of directors striving to offer beauty for all
The Board of Directors comprises 15 members since July 15th 2014: the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, five Directors appointed by the majority shareholders, three of whom are appointed by the Bettencourt Meyers family and two by Nestlé (the two Vice-Chairmen of the Board being chosen from among these members), seven independent Directors and two employee Board members. Out of a total of 13 directors (excluding employee Board members), six women have a seat on the Board, representing a proportion of female directors of 46 %.
The balance of power
The balance of powers on the Board is ensured through a very precise definition and sharing of the tasks to be carried out by everyone, the Chairman and CEO beside the fourteen Directors. All the Directors receive information on an ongoing basis and have suitable means, within the framework of a code of operation, with four specialised committees : the Strategy and Sustainable Development Committee, the Audit Committee, the Human Resources and Remuneration Committee, and the Appointments and Governance Committee.
Well-informed, independent Directors
L’Oréal’s Board of Directors is informed on an ongoing basis of all the aspects of the state of the Company’s business and its performances by meeting a large number of senior managers and engaging in open and constructive dialogue with them. Beyond the presence of strongly committed Directors with complementary experience (financial, industrial or business expertise, etc.), some of whom carry the memory of the Company’s history, as they have longstanding in-depth knowledge of the Company and its environment, the Directors all attend meetings regularly and are vigilant. The Board carries out its work on a collective basis, in accordance with ethical principles and in compliance with the legal provisions, regulations and recommendations. The Board’s work is carried out and deliberations are made perfectly independently of the operational commitments by the General Management.
Jean-Paul Agon
Age: 59. Chairman and CEO of L’Oréal, Board member since 2006, term of office renewed in 2014. Air Liquide Board member.
Chairman of the Strategy and Sustainable Development Committee.
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers
Age: 62. Daughter of Mrs. Bettencourt. L’Oréal Board member since 1997, term of office renewed in 2013. Chairwoman of the family-owned holding company Téthys. Chairwoman of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation.
Member of the Strategy and Sustainable Development Committee.
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe
Age: 71. Austrian. L’Oréal Board member since 1997, term of office renewed in 2013 and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé. Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Crédit Suisse Group (Switzerland). Chairman of the Board of Directors of Delta Topco Ltd (Jersey). Board member of Exxon Mobil (United States).
Member of the Strategy and Sustainable Development Committee.
Member of the Nominations and Governance Committee.
Member of the Human Resources and Remuneration Committee.
Jean-Pierre Meyers
Age: 67. L’Oréal Board member since 1987, term of office renewed in 2016 and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors. Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Chief Executive Officer of the family-owned company Téthys. Nestlé SA (Switzerland) Board member.
Member of the Strategy and Sustainable Development Committee.
Member of the Nominations and Governance Committee.
Member of the Human Resources and Remuneration Committee.
Ana Sofia Amaral
Age: 50. Portuguese. L’Oréal Board member since July 15th 2014. Scientific and Technical Affairs Director for L’Oréal Portugal.
Member of the Human Resources and Remuneration Committee.
Sophie Bellon
Age: 54. L’Oréal Board member since 2015. Charmain of Sodexo's board and in charge of the Research, Development and Innovation Strategy of Sodexo.
Chairman of the Nominations and Governance Committee.
Member of the Audit Committee.
Charles-Henri Filippi
Age: 63. L’Oréal Board member since 2007, term of office renewed in 2011. Former Chairman and CEO of HSBC France. Censor of Nexity. Chairman of Citigroup for France. Orange Board member.
Chairman of the Human Resources and Remuneration Committee.
Member of the Audit Committee.
Member of the Nominations and Governance Committee.
Xavier Fontanet
Age: 67. L’Oréal Board member since 2002, term of office renewed in 2014. Former Chairman and CEO of Essilor. Member of the Supervisory Board of Schneider Electric.
Member of the Strategy and Sustainable Development Committee.
Bélen Garijo
Age: 55. Spanish. L’Oréal Board member since April 2014. President and CEO of Merck Serono, pharmaceutical subsidiary of the German group Merck. Board member of BBVA (Spain).
Member of the Human Resources and Remuneration Committee.
Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch
Age: 51. L’Oréal Board member since April 20, 2016. General Manager of Nestlé Germany.
Member of the Audit Committee.
Bernard Kasriel
Age: 69. L’Oréal Board member since 2004, term of office renewed in 2016. Former CEO of Lafarge. Board member of Arkema and of Nucor (United States).
Member of the Strategy and Sustainable Development Committee.
Georges Liarokapis
Age: 53. French and Greek. L’Oréal Board member since July 15th 2014. Coordinator of Sustainability for L’Oréal Western Europe.
Member of the Audit Committee.
Jean-Victor Meyers
Age: 29. Grandson of Mrs. Liliane Bettencourt. L’Oréal Board member since 2012, term of office renewed in 2016. Member of the Supervisory Board of Téthys.
Member of the Audit Committee.
Virginie Morgon
Age: 46. L’Oréal Board member since 2013. With Eurazeo since 2008, one of the first investment companies to be listed in Europe. Member of the Executive Board and Chief Investment Officer. Board Member of Vivendi and Moncler (Italy).
Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Eileen Naughton
Age: 58. L’Oréal Board member since April 20, 2016. Vice President and Managing Director, Google UK and Ireland. Joined the Google Group in 2005 after several positions in Time Warner, including the President of Time Group from 2002 to 2005.