Vincent Maillard: Linda, it’s always a pleasure. Let’s start with the big picture: how would you define the mission of L’Oréal’s diversity and inclusion policy, especially in recruitment?

Linda Bergeron:Lovely to be here, Vincent. At L’Oréal, diversity, equity and inclusion is not a trend — it’s part of our DNA. L’Oréal Groupe has been committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for more than 20 years. Our visionary top leaders understood early on that having diverse perspectives around the table fosters long-term innovation. Today, we bring this vision into our recruitment strategy, ensuring that we recruit talents from all over the world with different experiences and backgrounds.

Vincent Maillard: Following the global shifts and debates of the past year — especially in the U.S.A — has your commitment faced any internal tension or reevaluation?

Linda Bergeron: Not at all. Our commitment is unwavering. We are who we are because of this deep conviction. Jean-Claude LE GRAND, our CHRO, has publicly reaffirmed this commitment on several occasions throughout 2025. One of our mottos is: “On ne lâche rien” — we’re not changing anything. Diversity is core to who we are as a beauty company. Beauty is diverse, and so must our teams be. We are proud of that and we continuously challenge ourselves to go further.

Vincent Maillard: The U.S. market is significant for L’Oréal. Has the external political and cultural climate affected your operations or mindset there?

Linda Bergeron: We see the U.S. as a highly diverse and dynamic market. We have an amazing research & innovation lab in North America in Clark that helps us creating more innovation, more personalization. Our ambition to be the most inclusive beauty leader and contribute to a society where people can feel safe, equal, respected and valued, will not change.

Vincent Maillard: What inspired your personal journey into diversity and inclusion work?

Linda Bergeron: I grew up in a tough suburb of Paris. My family came with nothing and built everything from scratch. I know firsthand how hard it can be to become who you want to be in difficult conditions. L’Oréal helped me to become who I wanted to be. I started in marketing, working on diverse beauty products like foundations for all skin tones and products for textured hair. Eventually, I moved to HR because I wanted to help build more inclusive teams. It’s about leaving the door open for others — especially those who might not had the chance I had.

Vincent Maillard: You mentioned that L’Oréal started formalizing diversity efforts quite early. Could you share more on that?

Linda Bergeron: We’ll be celebrating 20 years since we first appointed as SVP of Diversity & Inclusion — at L’Oréal U.S.A, no less. That move was spearheaded by Jean-Paul Agon, our then- L’Oréal U.S.A President and later CEO. We’ve since evolved the framework to include equity, implemented mandatory training on bias and created inclusive leadership programs for management. We also regularly survey our employees for feedback. We’re always trying to do better, listening, learning, always adjusting.

Vincent Maillard: What does “diversity” mean to L’Oréal today?

Linda Bergeron: We define it across four pillars: Gender and LGBTQIA+ inclusion; lead the way for more socioeconomic and multicultural diversity; advocate on physical, mental and social well-being; and valorise all ages and generations. We have many think tank and programs supporting employees and encouraging conversations. Trust is critical. If our employees don’t feel safe to share their experiences, then we don’t do our job right.

Vincent Maillard: And what about recruitment? How do you make external candidates feel that L’Oréal is a place for them?

Linda Bergeron: We’re committed to guaranteeing inclusive recruitment processes and to advocating for hiring and promoting each candidate in an ethical and equitable way. And for us, recruitment is about potential — not just competencies. That allows us to open the doors to more diverse profiles. We’ve created mandatory trainings for our hiring managers on inclusive recruitment and trainings for our recruiters on unconscious bias. Our philosophy is: meet the person first. Don’t create boxes. Give candidates space to unleash their potential. That’s how we try to be each day more inclusive.

Vincent Maillard: Do you track your progress? Are there metrics?

Linda Bergeron: While local regulations impact measurement capabilities differently across countries, France has proactively audited its recruitment processes for the past seven years through an external partner. This ensures true inclusivity and drives continuous improvement. Ultimately, our focus is on fostering a mindset shift, not just tracking numbers.

Vincent Maillard: Any story that stands out for you — one that captures the heart of L’Oréal’s diversity policy?

Linda Bergeron: I can think of so many examples. Some of the interns we recruited years ago are now leading as General Managers. They couldn’t have imagined this path back then, but they had what it takes. Helping people unlock their potential is what truly drive me.
I also think of our current CHRO, Jean Claude Le Grand, who has openly shared his struggle with dysorthographia. When he posted about it on LinkedIn, he inspired so many others to speak out. These stories are reminders that we all have our own struggles, but we also have many strengths, and we should try to focus on those strengths — and at L’Oréal, we try to help our employees to develop their potential and their skills.

Vincent Maillard: Looking ahead, how does technology intersect with your inclusion goals?

Linda Bergeron: Tech and AI are tools they can help to focus on what matters and help us provide more personalization. And we need to approach this with caution and ethics. For example, we have a strict charter and have chosen not to use AI-generated images in our advertising. Our tech must serve people, not replace or mislead them. Innovation is essential, but so is integrity.

Vincent Maillard: To wrap things up: what’s your message to the business world?

Linda Bergeron: We need to keep helping, keep supporting to show example and never to give lessons. And let’s try to do it together! For example, we created a youth-focused program which is called “L’Oréal for Youth”; we are part of the coalition “L’Oréal for All Generations”; we’re working with Singa, with Tent Partnership for Refugees on refugees inclusion. Join us! Let’s learn together to try to do more.

Vincent Maillard: Thank you, Linda. It’s been incredibly inspiring to hear that such an influencing group as L’Oreal remains true to its commitments and values despite the disturbed present times.

Linda Bergeron: Thank you Vincent for this opportunity to share about this topic and for your engagement. I just want to say a big thank you to all our L’Oréal teams for their amazing commitment. And to our external partners and experts who’ve helped us along the way.