Visits
Chair Seminars
Chair Seminar with Aurelia Baudelaire,
21th March 2024
Beauty Tech & CRM Director at Kérastase DMI
K-Scan: Revolutionizing Salon Experience with AI-Powered Personalization
On the 21st of march, the students learned about Kérastase's new innovation with Aurelia Baudelaire, Beauty Tech & CRM Director at Kérastase DMI, the K-Scan. This new device is showcasing the brand's advancement towards ultra-personalization in hair care. Kérastase, a luxury leader within L'Oréal's Professional Products Division (PPD), has introduced the K-Scan to enhance professional hair care services. This device, designed for salon use, employs artificial intelligence (AI) for detailed scalp analysis, aiding hairdressers in offering tailored hair care routines.
The K-Scan has been tested in various markets and places, like Japan or Vivatech, and aims to increase salon visits by providing personalized care recommendations. This approach emphasizes the link between technological innovation and professional expertise, highlighting Kérastase's commitment to elevating the salon experience and fostering stronger client relationships. It represents a strategic move to drive traffic to salons, reinforcing the importance of professional guidance in achieving optimal hair health. The seminar underscored the potential of K-Scan to revolutionize the hair care industry by combining cutting-edge technology with the artistry of hairdressing
Chair Seminar with Meriem Jabnoun and Francesco Bonamassa,
13th March 2024
International Director R&I for Hair Care, Scalp Care, and Hair Manageability &
Business Activation International Director
Unlocking Beauty Innovation: Hair Care Trends and Market Activation Strategies
On Thursday 13th, the students attended a seminar at L'Oréal where Meriem Jabnoun, International Director R&I for Hair Care, Scalp Care, and Hair Manageability, shared insights into L'Oréal's research, innovation, and the significance of the Brazilian market. She highlighted the success of Kérastase, the scalp care boom, and the diversity of hair trends, emphasizing cleaner haircare products and the importance of addressing various hair needs.
In the seminar's second part, Francesco Bonamassa, Business Activation International Director, discussed the importance of business activation, focusing on professional and consumer engagement. He stressed the significance of synergy between product quality and stylist expertise, the process of co-creating products tailored to specific country needs, and the crucial role of digital strategies in modern business activation.
The seminar offered a comprehensive overview of L'Oréal's approach to innovation and market activation, reflecting on the company's dedication to meeting diverse consumer needs and leveraging technology for broader engagement.
Chair Seminar with Farah Elamrani and Sarah Franklin-Beck,
7th March 2024
The Chair Students Present Future-Focused Solutions for the Beauty Industry
On Thursday, March 7th, students met with L'Oréal representatives Farah Elamrani and Sarah Franklin-Beck at the L'Oréal headquarters in Levallois 52 to discuss their research findings:
Team one examined growth in emerging markets, focusing on authenticity and the impact of credible influencers in Sub-Saharan Africa. They suggested expanding L'Oréal's portfolio to include natural trends and advocated for market-specific strategies.
Team two addressed the representation and care of black hair, emphasizing the need for education on protective hairstyles and addressing scalp disorders. They recommended concentrating on hairstylist education and product innovation.
Team three explored the role of technology in enhancing inclusivity, suggesting AI for tracking ingredients and digital platforms for broader reach. They highlighted personalized experiences and technology's role in accessibility.
Team four proposed methods to enhance consumer inclusion, focusing on inclusive marketing, product accessibility, and diverse representation. They outlined actionable steps for salons, retail, and e-commerce to improve inclusivity.
Each team provided concise insights, proposing forward-thinking solutions for the beauty industry's development and inclusivity.
Chair Seminar with Yara Mansour & Farah Diane,
29th February 2024
General Manager Professional Products Division l'Oréal Africa &
Employer Branding Project Manager
Exploring Market Dynamics and Social Media Strategies
During the first part of the session led by Yara Mansour, the focus was on L'Oréal Professionnel's strategic approach towards the Sub-Saharan Africa market, emphasizing four key elements. Initially, they are implementing a geographical strategy by establishing a presence in major cities such as Johannesburg, Lagos, and Nairobi, with specific attention directed towards L'Oréal Professionnel and Mizani brands to ensure targeted innovations reach the appropriate consumers.
Education for hair professionals, including the establishment of schools and infrastructure development, is highlighted as crucial, addressing a genuine lack of knowledge in business management. Furthermore, the market deployment objective aims to reach premium consumers through an omnichannel strategy, with a particular emphasis on accelerating B2C through retail and e-commerce channels.
In the second part of the seminar, presented by Farah Diane, Employer Branding Project Manager, the focus shifted to a coaching session on social media, specifically centered around leveraging LinkedIn to enhance one's professional network. Several key aspects were highlighted, including the importance of being active on the platform by frequently sharing one's journey with the audience through dynamic posts featuring concise text, at least three pictures, and engaging emojis. Capitalizing on connections by sending invitations to those met, completing each category of the profile to enhance appeal, and approaching people for internship/apprenticeship opportunities with curiosity were also emphasized as essential strategies for maximizing LinkedIn's potential.
Chair Seminar with Laura SAADI,
8th February 2024
Head Teacher at Real Campus by L'Oréal
On February 8th, Head Teacher Laura Saadi welcomed the Chair at the REAL Campus in Paris. Laura presented their bachelor’s program : a 3-year Bachelor degree that combines hairdressing and entrepreneurship. By creating this school, L’Oréal once again demonstrates its cutting edge vision, this time in tertiary education. The degree program is the first of its kind in France and offers aspiring hairdressers a comprehensive program teaching state-of-the-art hair techniques as well as business acumen.
In addition to a campus tour, Laura provided the Chair students with insights into the world of hairdressers and the complex challenges they face in their profession: from effective individual consultations to customer retention. The REAL Campus is leading by example and encouraging a shift towards greater diversity within the profession, paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable hairdressing industry.
Chair Seminar with Julia SARHY,
1st February 2024
Head of Consumer & Market Insights at Professional Products Division L'Oréal
Exploring Market & Prosumer Insights with Julia Sarhy
During a virtual seminar, the Chair students had the privilege of hearing from Julia Sarhy, Head of CMI at L'Oréal, who provided insightful perspectives on the Professional Product Division (PPD).
The PPD houses 9 brands like Kérastase, L’Oréal Professionnel, and Shu Uemura. L'Oréal has changed its distribution strategy, moving away from traditional salon-centric models to a dynamic omnichannel approach, embracing platforms such as e-retail and direct-to-consumer channels.
We were introduced to the significant transformations occuring in the hair care industry, with salons going digital, the emergence of independent stylists, and brands focusing on premium options, scientific advancements, sustainability, and inclusivity. This has led to accelerated growth for L'Oréal and PPD, with Kérastase leading in market share.
There is more focus on the increasing prevalence of curly hair and the need for specialized products and training to take care of diverse hair types.
Chair Seminar with Anke Hadasch
30th March, 2023On 30th March 2023, the Chair students arrived at the L'Oréal Beauty Tech campus for a Chair Seminar with Anke Hadasch, Global Vice President Color Science Métier and Digital Transformation at L'Oréal. The topic of the presentation was ‘It’s More Than Just a Color: How to Make the World More Inclusive?’. The seminar started with a foreword by Nina G Jablonski, Evan Pugh Professor of Anthropology at The Pennsylvania State University on the definition of inclusivity. Following this, Anke talked about the technical rationales behind color technology and how one can leverage data to make the shade range for cosmetics more inclusive, citing NYX Professional Make-up as a perfect example of the same. The Chair students got many helpful tips from her on their projects for designing an inclusive consumer experience during the Q&A.
Thus, the seminar not only helped the Chair students deep dive into the world of color science technology but also gave them an opportunity to incorporate this information into their projects with NYX.
Chair Seminar with Clemence Poinsignon
23th March, 2023
On 23rd March 2023, the Chair students got the opportunity to connect with Clemence Poinsignon, Sustainable Sourcing- Social Initiatives Director at L'Oréal and ESSEC Alumni for a Chair Seminar on ‘Inclusive Sourcing Challenges’. It was an interactive session and students shared their understanding on the topic before handing the baton to Clemence. Clemence then spoke about L'Oréal’s ‘Solidarity Sourcing Program’ that aims to facilitate social inclusion, improve the main source of revenue for marginalised communities through fair sourcing, and promote supplier diversity by giving an equal opportunity to companies in disadvantaged situations.
The Chair students were thus inspired to tackle global inequality by having a sourcing-driven commitment in their future business endeavours.
Chair Seminar with Eva Azoulay and Lamia Alkass Fleury
16th March, 2023
On 16th March 2023, the Chair students arrived at L'Oréal Beauty Tech Campus for the Chair seminar on ‘Inclusive Leadership’ by Eva Azoulay, Global CPD Human Relations Director and Lamia Alkass Fleury, Global O+O Shopper Activation Director and Diversity, Leadership & Inclusion Lead. The seminar began with a tale called ‘A Peacock in the Land of Penguins’ that brought new insight to an important topic - workforce diversity. The discussion then delved into important actions and policies to correct internal bias, create equitable opportunities for all and the importance of starting at the top of the hierarchy to ensure Inclusive Leadership. Q&A on cross-cultural management and quantitative measurement of DE&I efforts concluded the event.
The Seminar unveiled various dimensions of Inclusive Leadership like effective collaboration and cultural intelligence. The Chair students took home a very important message that Inclusive Leadership is more about the small, circadian actions and less about the big, grand gestures!
Chair Seminar with Sylviane Ballustre
16th February, 2023On 16th February 2023 the Chair students had a virtual rendezvous with the multi talented Sylviane Ballustre, Director of L'Oréal Fund for Women, Fondation L'Oréal and Beauty program. Sylviane began the seminar by meticulously delineating the projects and processes involved in L'Oréal’s ‘Beauty for a Better Life’ and ‘L'Oréal Fund for Women’ initiatives with special focus on qualitative and quantitative impact analysis. The floor was then opened to the Chair students for the Q&A session, where they got more insights on how the company tracks progress of its initiatives, what KPIs they use for the same, and potential collaborations for the program.
The seminar was a resounding success and filled the Chair students with optimism and determinism to be the catalysts of change they want to see in the world.
Chair Seminar with Maxime Valet
9th February, 2023On 9th February 2023, the Chair students gathered at L'Oréal Beauty Tech campus for an interactive session with armchair fencing champion and sports doctor, Maxime Valet. Maxime spoke passionately about his triumphs in the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and the hurdles he overcame while transitioning from playing in the Olympics to playing in the Paralympics. He not only articulated the physical qualities one needs to master the sport but also stressed upon the importance of tactical strategy, experience and mental health. He brought to light several present-day realities regarding the visibility of para sports in the media, and the funds allocated to para sports by sports organizations around the world.
This instilled a sense of determination in the students to spearhead the change in business policies towards differently-abled people in every sphere.
Chair Seminar with Alexandra Palt
2nd February, 2023On 2nd February 2023, the Leadership & Diversity Chair and the Circular Economy Chair students got the opportunity to interact with the Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer and CEO of Fondation L'Oréal, Alexandra Palt. The topic of discussion for the seminar was “Driving Sustainable Transition Through Leadership”. Alexandra Palt shared her inspirational journey with students which helped them get several insights on how leaders and organizations can build equitable and just societies through transformation of businesses. She also spoke about how companies need to stretch themselves without breaking by focusing on the macro-perspective. This was followed by an illuminating Q&A session where students discussed burning questions on current issues like systematic racial discrimination in organizations.
The seminar infused the Chair students with a mirthful vision to bring sustainability and social responsibility at the core of their business strategies.