Yahoo Finance L’Oréal USA Hires Marissa Pagnani McGowan as Chief Sustainability Officer for North America
L’Oréal USA has tapped Marissa Pagnani McGowan as chief sustainability officer for North America.
“Marissa brings to her sustainability work a passion for the power of partnerships and collective action,” said Stéphane Rinderknech, president and chief executive officer of L’Oréal USA and executive vice president of North America, in a statement.
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McGowan, who officially joins the company in November, will report to Rinderknech.
“We aim to drive a complete transformation of our business — to be a leader and catalyst of change in the beauty sector and beyond,” added Rinderknech. “I firmly believe that we must act with even more urgency to address the social and environmental needs of the planet while preparing our business to meet the opportunities of our dynamic market.”
A law graduate of Georgetown University, McGowan began her career as a lawyer at Skadden Arps in New York and London, working on international mergers and acquisitions and corporate compliance. Most recently, she was the chief sustainability officer at PVH Corp., where she oversaw the clothing company’s corporate responsibility strategy (including environmental and social impact, human rights, diversity, inclusion and equity).
“I am excited and honored to join L’Oréal, a company that I have long admired for its rich history and continued growth through keeping innovation, the consumer and responsibility at the center of its business,” said McGowan, who will also join the U.S. management committee and leadership team of Alexandra Palt, L’Oréal’s global chief corporate responsibility officer.
“My passion for the beauty industry, like the fashion sector, stems from its humanity and creativity, which together create a powerful opportunity to influence positive change,” continued McGowan. “I look forward to stewarding the sustainability work as part of L’Oréal USA’s next growth chapter, and to driving meaningful progress on the L’Oréal for the Future’s transformation journey.”
L’Oréal for the Future is the company’s 10-year “sustainability transformation strategy.” The initiative aims to create a more “sustainable” business model while solving global challenges. As the largest subsidiary of the L’Oréal Group, L’Oréal USA is headquartered in New York City and present in 16 states, managing over 35 beauty brands and collecting more than $7 billion in sales annually.
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