L’Oréal chief corporate responsibility officer departs

L’Oréal announced on Wednesday the departure of Alexandra Palt from her role as chief corporate responsibility officer, effective April 1, citing a focus on “personal endeavors” for her exit.

Palt joined L’Oréal Groupe as chief sustainability officer in 2013 and was nominated to the executive committee as chief corporate responsibility officer in 2019.

With her departure, the executive will continue to serve as CEO of the Fondation L’Oréal until June 30, and will then take a seat on the board of the Fondation L’Oréal.

Palt will be succeeded as chief corporate responsibility officer by Ezgi Barcenas, who joins L’Oréal Groupe from AB InBev, where she was chief sustainability officer and served as a member of the senior leadership team.

During her ten years at AB InBev, Barcenas established and ran the global sustainability function, having architected AB InBev’s ambitious ‘net-zero by 2040’ ambitions, among other achievements.

“I would like to thank Alexandra for her engagement, which over the past 12 years has triggered a profound transformation of L’Oréal’s economic and societal model, deeply integrated with planetary boundaries as defined by environmental sciences,”  said Nicolas Hieronimus, chief executive officer, L’Oréal Groupe.

 “Her courage, energy and vision have enabled L’Oréal to become a pioneering enterprise, expert at delivering positive economic and extra-financial performance. The choice of Ezgi Barcenas, a recognized business and climate leader, to succeed Alexandra is a strong sign of L’Oréal’s reiterated commitment to its sustainability transformation and to social responsibility.”