The CEO Forum Group Magazine Business 2023 (1) - Flipbook - Page 18
Nicolas Hieronimus
the Top 20 in the global ranking on gender equality
by Equileap for the sixth consecutive year. We have
also been recognized for the fourteenth time as
one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the
Ethisphere Institute.
How do you create accountability throughout the
organization?
I think for diversity, like any other priority, it comes
down to management attention, visibility and
continuous follow up.
Firstly, it is important to have a clear ambition and
measure and track our results.
Secondly, to ensure that our managers are held
directly accountable for meeting our DE&I
objectives, these are now part of the performance
criteria of their long-term bonus incentive.
Thirdly, being transparent externally sends a clear
message of our accountability. Since 2010, the
headquarters and many of our subsidiaries are
audited and certified by independent organizations:
GEEIS
(Gender
Equality
European
and
International Standard): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi
Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United
Arab Emirates, UK; EDGE (Economic Dividend for
Gender Equality): Australia, Brazil, Canada, USA,
India, Russia, Philippines, Switzerland
What are your thoughts on being a company of
purpose?
This is a topic that is very close to my heart. At L’Oréal
our sense of purpose is to ‘create the beauty that
moves the world’. This purpose guides not only my
actions but also those of the rest of the organization.
The concept of “purpose” is becoming increasingly
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important in today’s world. People make choices
about which brands to buy and which companies to
work for based on what companies do beyond just
making profits. Consumers expect companies to play
an active and vocal role in solving the societal and
environmental issues facing the world today. And, as
the world’s leading beauty company, and the world’s
fourth largest advertiser, I believe that we do have a
responsibility to act.
The areas of women empowerment and diversity are
intrinsically linked to our sense of purpose. We strive
to make our organization as diverse as the consumers
we serve, we have an obligation to create an inclusive
workplace in which everyone feels accepted and valued.
And, it is only by having a diverse workforce that we
can truly “create the beauty that moves the world.”
“People make choices about
which brands to buy and which
companies to work for based on
what companies do beyond just
making profits.”
Finally, describe your involvement in the global
community.
In addition to our work to drive DE&I inside the
company, we recognize the need to drive these same
commitments in the broader community.
To date, our brand causes have benefited +3.4
million people across the world, with many of them
actively supporting women’s causes and women
empowerment. Programs like: L’Oréal Paris “Stand
Up,” designed to fight street harassment (over 1.8
million people trained to date); YSL’s “Abuse is Not
Love,” working to end intimate partner violence
(over 377k beneficiaries in 2022); and Lancôme’s
“Write Her Future” program, to fight against female
illiteracy (more than 77k beneficiaries in 2022).