Chair Trip

On the second day of the study trip, April 12th, students visited L'Oréal's factory in Burgos, Spain, where Ines Fernandez Gil provided insights into the factory's operations. The Burgos factory, a cornerstone in the production of haircare products for L'Oréal's Professional Products Division (PPD), notably manufactures 100% of Kérastase products. This site is recognized as a global leader in sustainability within the L'Oréal Group, achieving carbon neutrality in 2015 through innovative energy solutions like a biomass trigeneration plant and solar panels.

The factory is also distinguished by its exemplary water management practices, being the first in the group to recycle all its industrial water under the “Waterloop Factory” initiative since 2017.

Furthermore, the Burgos facility significantly contributes to the local economy, sourcing many of its materials from local suppliers and exporting products to over 50 countries, showcasing its integral role in L'Oréal’s global network. 

This enriching visit and the overall trip allowed students to deepen their understanding of L'Oréal’s sustainability practices and the operations of PPD, providing valuable inspiration for their future projects and fostering a stronger bond among them as they spent a few days together! 

On Wednesday, 11th April, the students visited L'Oréal's headquarters in Madrid, Spain, where they met with Macarena Berenguer, Marina Fernandez, and Nerea Gil in the morning.

Macarena Berenguer, Marketing Leader for Kerastase and Shu Uemura Spain and Portugal, discussed the brand's omnichannel marketing strategy, emphasizing its success in integrating salon services with e-commerce. She highlighted Kerastase's effectiveness in attracting luxury consumers, particularly focusing on Gen Z while retaining Baby Boomers. She also stressed the role of innovative strategies in enhancing salon engagement and brand awareness.

Marina Fernandez, the Marketing Leader for L'Oréal Professional Spain and Portugal, spoke about the brand's emphasis on hair technology and education. She detailed how L'Oréal Professional uses unique molecular technologies and educational initiatives to help stylists and consumers understand their product benefits.

Nerea Gil, Marketing Leader for Redken, outlined the brand's leadership in the U.S. as a top professional brand. She shared Redken's approach to science-driven beauty solutions, including their shift from cream to liquid coloration.

During the afternoon, students had the opportunity to hear from two more speakers who focused on sustainability and human resources.

Juan Ameguyo, the Manager of Sustainability Projects in Spain and Portugal, discussed L'Oréal's commitment to environmental responsibility under the banner "L'Oréal for the Future" . He highlighted innovative projects like the "Water Saver" head shower , which saves 69% more water than traditional systems. He also explained how L'Oréal is turning hair waste into sustainable products , for instance, creating mats from recycled hair.

Later, Sara Silva, a Human Resources executive, addressed the critical role of HR in tackling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) challenges within L'Oréal . She shared insights into the company's best practices for fostering representation and DEI among employees. The session also included a bilateral discussion on potential improvements and strategies for challenging the status quo in the beauty industry.

From May 10th-12th 2023, the students of the L&D chair embarked on an exciting journey to Düsseldorf, wherein the students not only got to explore German biergartens and experience cultural immersion but also they got to learn more about the L'Oréal programmes implemented in the DACH region to ensure best-in-class DE&I practices.

The trip was packed with interesting seminars and learning opportunities for the students. The Chair students were welcomed to the L'Oréal Düsseldorf office by Johanna Herfurtner, Brand General Manager American Makeup Brands. Then Inga Hammer, Senior Business Leader for Operational Marketing/Product Operational Marketing spoke about NYX and gave a brief introduction about the market share of NYX products and their channel value share in Germany. She also spoke about the NYX brand strategy which helped the chair students understand the brand values and incorporate them in their projects. This was followed by a session on Diversity of Consumers by Ilka Sorg, Senior Category Insights Manager who gave an insightful presentation on different aspects of diversity and its importance in a corporate environment. Following this, Oskar José Isenberg Lima, HR Director, Professional Products Division & DE&I Lead, DACH talked about HR DE&I policies at L'Oréal and explained how he built the DE&I Action Committee within the company through networking and strategic planning. The day proceeded with an introduction by Sarah Aghahassani, Senior Retail Brand Manager & DE&I Lead SEMO to the Group's Home@LOréal programme and its objectives. Then, the students were briefed about how LOréal aims to create an inclusive workspace through its Out@LOréal programme by Jennifer Onda, Brand Director LL. Johanna Herfurtner then spoke about the Brave Together campaign by Maybelline New York which sheds light on mental health, depression and anxiety. Then, after a quick session prepared by Stefanie Schadowski, Retail Education Project Manager on Family@LOréal, the students were ushered to Düsseldorf Arcaden for a store check with focus on DE&I in makeup sales. The students checked out the NYX space at Müller under the guidance of Johanna Herfurtner who explained to them the brand policies to maximize sales at the store. The students also visited the NYX retail space inside the dm store in the same mall where Timo Basilowski, Key Account Manager shared some key consumer insights that served as crucial knowledge for the students for attuning their project ideas to serve consumer needs.

Overall, this trip was an important learning experience for the students as they got to understand the regional differences in business strategies which enabled them to broaden their horizons. And of course, getting to try different German beers was an added bonus that made this trip an unforgettable experience for the students!

Our 8th Annual Leadership and Diversity Chair Trip took place in Düsseldorf, a critical location for L'Oréal, acting as a regional hub for Germany and Austria. This location offered the students superb insights into the unique market dynamics in the region and the diverse teams that are leading and shaping the organization.

Authenticity, localized sensitivity, impact performance/tracking, and community rose to the top in our discussions with L'Oréal experts. From refugee support to the recently formed Out@L'Oréal group, our students got to see how L'Oréal is driving change rooted in the business case for DEI. 

Our students enjoyed many wonderful dinners together and the chance to meet the French and Singapore cohorts face-to-face for the first time.

This year, the study trip was originally cancelled due to the pandemic. Our students managed to make the 7th study trip happen after the restrictions are lifted. 

Strasbourg was chosen as the destination for its historical heritages especially during the World War II, the intersection of French and German culture, its significance to the European Union as well as its beautiful sceneries.

After arriving at the Hostel and settling down, our students started a meaningful Saturday by cycling around the city, followed by a traditional Alsatian meal and a boat trip along the Rhin.

The Leadership & Diversity Chair organized its 6th Annual Study trip to Brussels in March.

The three keywords related to diversity and inclusion that summarize this year’s study trip to Brussels were: Targets, Parenthood, and Flexibility.

Unlike France, Belgium does not have legal diversity quotas. However, at the three firms that we visited, representatives of Accenture, BNP Paribas Fortis, and L'Oréal Benelux all talked about measuring diversity and inclusion through setting targets and following the progress. For all three firms, setting realistic targets and measuring the progress helps the common understanding of collaborators around diversity issues and to move their firms towards a more inclusive workplace with these topics at the center. More Info.

The Leadership & Diversity Chair organized its 6th Annual Study Trip with 23 chair students in Copenhagen, Denmark between March 15th and 18th, 2018. The trip consisted of workshops and conferences. On day 1, the Chair students visited a prominent Danish firm, Novo Nordisk to discuss its social commitment with the project “Cities Changing Diabetes”. The following day, they spent their time at CBS (Copenhagen Business School) with many international students. They worked in groups on the subject “Global Leadership and Story Making inside culture”. As in the previous years, the study trip was one of the highlights of the Leadership and Diversity Chair experience.

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Following our tradition started in 2013, the Leadership & Diversity Chair organized its Annual Study Trip with 26 chair students to Copenhagen, Denmark between March 16th and 19th, 2017. The trip consisted of activities & conferences for the chair members. On day 1, the chair students visited two prominent Danish firms, Danske Bank & Maersk to understand their work cultures & underlying diversity issues. The following day, they spent their time with CBS (Copenhagen Business School) students working in groups on the subject of Global Leadership at the Studio, CBS. As in previous years, the study trip was one of the highlights of the Leadership and Diversity Chair experience. 

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Following our tradition started in 2013, the Chair organized its Annual Study Trip with 20 chair students to Copenhagen, Denmark between April 14th and 17th, 2016. The students visited Maersk Supply Services, ISS World Services and Copenhagen Business House on Friday, April 15th, and participated in a Leadership Workshop at The Studio, Copenhagen Business School with CBS students on Saturday, April 16th. As in previous years, the study trip was one of the highlights of the Leadership and Diversity Chair experience. 

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Do women have different career aspirations than men? Are women not using the same strategies as men? These were some of the questions addressed by the “Gender Journey”, an event organized by the ESSEC Leadership and Diversity Chair to heighten awareness of gender issues in the workplace that attracted over 50 participants on March 17, 2015. The lunchtime panel discussion with Pascale Marcou of Catalyst Europe , and Chantal Do of Women’Up-La Fusee, an association founded by former L&D chair students, focused on the Gen Y perspective on gender issues and the expectations and opportunities for women and men of this generation. In order to prepare students to be gender inclusive, three interactive and experiential workshops were organized in the afternoon in the K-lab by Chair students and Women’Up members around coaching, networking and work-life balance.