Top-level Nominations Made at L’Oréal

PARIS — The appointment of Alexis Perakis-Valat as the incoming chief executive officer of L’Oréal USA and president, North America, succeeding David Greenberg, has set off a cascade of changes at the L’Oréal group’s executive committee level. Handovers will start Oct. 1 and run through Jan. 1.

Fabrice Megarbane is being appointed president of the Consumer Products Division, following Perakis-Valat’s departure. Megarbane, currently the group’s chief global growth officer since January 2024, has spent the last 24 years working at the company. Among his leadership roles has been serving as CEO of L’Oréal China and president of the company’s North Asia Zone.

As chief global growth officer, Megarbane has helped shape L’Oréal’s future path. “In this critical function, he has brilliantly strategized growth, and fostered a more integrated, multizone approach across the group, including driving significant e-commerce expansion with key platforms like Amazon and TikTok,” the company said in a statement.

“He has also spearheaded several of the group’s key transformation projects, helping drive agility, optimize the group’s ways of working and ensure the company is ‘future fit,’” L’Oréal said. 

While at L’Oréal China, he lassoed record market share and doubled sales. “He also positioned the region at the forefront of digital and data excellence, mastering the complexities of modern consumer engagement, and ensured all industrial sites achieved carbon neutrality by 2022.

“Fabrice’s unique blend of strategic insight, deep market knowledge and exceptional leadership qualities, proven during his transformative tenure in China and most recently as chief global growth officer, makes him the idea choice to lead our Consumer Products Division,” said Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L’Oréal, in the statement. “I am confident that he will continue to drive innovation, accelerate growth and inspire our teams in this new chapter.”

Vianney Derville is succeeding Megarbane as chief growth officer. He most recently has served as president of Europe for the group. 

L’Oréal called Derville “a distinguished leader renowned for orchestrating profound transformations, driving exceptional growth and fostering strategic market leadership.”

His is a new global role in which he is meant to leverage his in-market experience, strategic vision and ability to inspire teams to accelerate L’Oréal’s growth, the company added. 

Derville was appointed to his role overseeing Europe in 2016, after jobs in Japan, Spain, France and the U.S. Sales in Europe last year reached more than 11.4 billion euros, and the continent was the biggest contributor to the company’s growth overall.

“The Europe zone has also consistently gained market share and demonstrated strong online dominance,” L’Oréal said. 

Derville has also been credited with bolstering public affairs within Europe, which has a complicated regulatory terrain. 

“Vianney’s deep understanding of our markets, his proven track record of driving significant growth and transformation, coupled with his exceptional ability to unite and inspire teams make him the perfect choice to be our new chief growth officer,” Hieronimus said. “I look forward to working with him closely as we shape L’Oréal’s future growth trajectory, continue the ‘One L’Oreal’ transformation project leveraging AI and write the next chapter of the group’s history.” 

Taking the role of president of Europe is Emmanuel Goulin, who is currently president of travel retail. The executive has been credited with navigating the post-COVID-19 world. He spearheaded the “beauty experience” in travel retail, which refocused L’Oréal’s activities in airports around the traveler’s journey. Goulin transformed the organization and optimized the company’s operational footprint in the channel.

Goulin started at L’Oréal 25 years ago. He has held positions in Japan, Hong Kong, the U.K. and France. The executive returned to Europe in 2022, taking the role of general manager of L’Oréal Italy, where he instigated double-digit growth and helped forge the group’s sustainable development.

“Emmanuel has a deep understanding of the European landscape, forged through leadership roles in three of its key markets,” m Hieronimus said. “This, together with his great track record of delivering major business and transformational impact, positions him as the ideal leader to drive innovation, accelerate growth and inspire our teams in our biggest region.” 

Eva Yu is being named president of travel retail, and is to join L’Oréal’s extended executive committee. Currently president and managing director of L’Oréal Hong Kong, she will be based in both Paris and Sinagapore.

“Eva has led the subsidiary through an extraordinary evolution, resulting in a significant increase in market share, in addition to widespread recognition for its retail excellence,” L’Oréal said.

Yu started at the company in 2000 as brand manager for Biotherm in Hong Kong, where it became among the top brands market-wide. In 2011, she became the first Asian and first woman appointed managing director of travel retail in APAC, where she helmed L’Oréal’s duty-free business in 27 markets.

“Eva’s remarkable career, marked by her vision, and incredible ability to foster unity and harmonize efforts across different functions and markets, makes her an outstanding leader,” Hieronimus said. 

“Her deep understanding of the Asian market and her proven track record in driving both business transformation and people development, positions her as the ideal choice to lead our strategic travel retail business into its next chapter of growth and innovation,” he said.