Chair Trip

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.