L’Oréal fuses research and technology departments with new executive appointment

By Becky Bargh | Published: 12-Oct-2020

Following the retirement of L’Oréal’s VP of Research and Innovation, Barbara Lavernos, the group's Chief Technologies and Operations Officer, will head up the French giant’s new Research, Innovation and Technologies department

L’Oréal has made a host of changes to its executive team following the retirement of Laurent Attal, the group’s Executive Vice President of Research and Innovation.

After more than three decades with the French beauty behemoth, Attal will be replaced by Barbara Lavernos, L’Oréal’s Chief Technologies and Operations Officer, who will lead the group's new Research, Innovation and Technologies department from February 2021.

An engineer by trade, Lavernos joined the group in 1991 and has had a rich career with the group across a number of sectors.

In 2000 she was appointed Director of Rambouillet plant, four years later she took up the role of Global Chief Procurement Officer and was entrusted as General Management of Travel Retail for L’Oréal’s Luxury Division in 2012.

Two years later she was made Chief Operations Officer and joined L’Oréal’s Executive Committee.

Speaking about Lavernos’ appointment, L’Oréal’s CEO Jean-Paul Agon said: “I have chosen a woman of conviction, who has always addressed first the group’s collective objectives, demonstrating strategic vision on the one hand and leading her team to perfect operational execution on the other.

“I have total confidence that Barbara Lavernos will apply again her great leadership skills and extraordinary energy to this new challenge, which is crucial for the future of L’Oréal.

“I am convinced that the combination of R&I and technology will enable us to invent the beauty of the future, a beauty which relies on R&I, at the historic heart of our model based on science and innovation, now allied with new opportunities offered by technology.”

Agon added: “This new direction of research, innovation and technology will enable us to conquer new territories, increase brand innovations and strengthen our position as the world leader in beauty.”

Antoine Vanlaeys will assume Lavernos’ role as Chief Technologies and Operations Officer.

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