Meet Jaime, and the Women Who Inspire Him
For International Women’s Day this 8th March 2017, we’re celebrating the ways in which we empower females through education and professional recognition. Just to name a couple, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme promotes and honours female scientists for instance, and our Beauty for a Better Life initiative, harnessing the power of beauty to promote social inclusion.
But we wanted to dig a little deeper on this special day dedicated to appreciating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. So we asked Jaime, HR Director for L’Oréal Middle East, about the females that enrich his professional and personal life. After all, it’s the people in our lives who allow us to succeed.
Are there any qualities of women you particularly admire?
Intuition, sensibility, strength and management of complexity. In my opinion, women are able to see things from other perspectives, they’re attentive to details, they support obstacles more so than men and of course, they can do more than one thing at a time! I would love to have these powers myself!
Are there any women at L’Oréal who inspire you?
I find our Chief Digital Officer, Lubomira Roche, very inspiring, having met her last year when she visited Dubai. She is someone who is bringing winds of change to the Group and her work is crucial for the modernization and transformation we are living at L’Oréal.
What’s the most important lesson a woman has ever taught you?
I have the luck and chance to have amazing women around me at L’Oréal in HR. One amazing advice from one colleague in recruitment, Arianna, was:
Always dream and think big!
One of my first managers in the Spanish HR team, Marisol, taught me about fairness, ethics and precision in our work of HR. In Paris, at the beginning of my career, Sandrine Blanc Beguin told me: “You have a natural power of connecting with people, to work in HR you will have to professionalize it and you will succeed amazingly.”
She might be one of the reasons I am still here as an HR… I could continue for hours… thanks to all of them and the ones to come!
What is your favourite piece of art, created by a female?
One of my favorite book series ever is created by a woman…the Harry Potter series! I really admire J.K Rowling, the British novelist for her outstanding success achieved by her humble talent and breaking of social boundaries. Taking into account that fashion is one of my passions, Coco Chanel’s designs are also important ‘pieces of art’ for me. This prolific fashion creator liberated women and popularised sporty and casual chic as the feminine standard of style. In the art of film making, I cannot forget Sophia Coppola and her masterpiece, Lost in Translation- simply magical.
Think back to your earliest memory of a beauty product. Was it introduced to you by a female, and if so, who was it and what was the product?
Without a doubt, my first beauty memory was my mum’s red lipstick, something she cannot leave her house without! I can never forget her red kisses all over my face!
As a guy in the cosmetics industry, how do you feel about working in a ‘female’ industry?
I’ve had a lot of female managers from who I learn so much, but there are also many men leading at L’Oréal. In my position as HR Director, one of my priorities is gender balance, as I truly believe that this makes us more competitive, more stronger in the market and for sure, more fair.
Jaime didn’t mention them in our conversation, but shares the two people who inspire him the most, his wife and daughter.
If you want to join inspiring and inspired individuals like Jaime, look for your next job opportunity with us!
