Jean-Pierre Chariton, President and CEO of Nihon L'Oréal Co., Ltd.

Making full use of abundant data to create a brilliant Japan

President and Representative Director of Nihon L'Oréal Co., Ltd.　Jean-Pierre Chariton

■ Profile
Born in Paris, France in 1966. Graduated from EM Lyon Business School in 1989. Joined L'Oréal headquarters in France in 1991. After serving as general manager of L'Oréal Luxe divisions around the world, he was appointed global president of Giorgio Armani Beauty, the L'Oréal Luxe division, in 2008.
In 2013, he was appointed General Manager of the L'Oréal Luxe division in the L'Oréal Asia Pacific region (APAC), and has held his current position since November 2021.

L'Oréal Japan offers cosmetics through 18 brands. Utilizing innovative marketing and a wealth of data, the company continues to influence the Japanese market. We spoke with President Jean-Pierre Charrington about the company's pursuit of beauty, its efforts toward sustainability and diversity, and future developments.

When I was a student, I attended business school in France, where I learned how to work practically based on theory. I also worked under a system called Junior Enterprise in France, where I was able to consult with small businesses and put the theories I learned in school into practice. At the same time, I was able to earn money, which I used to travel. I was able to experience different cultures and diversity through road trips in the United States and Europe, and travel around the world, which deepened my outlook on life.

■I was attracted to L'Oréal and decided to work there

There are three reasons why I decided to work for L'Oréal. The first is that L'Oréal is known as a company with strong marketing capabilities. I originally studied marketing at school, and I wanted to think about marketing and advertising strategies that use data. The second reason was that I wanted to work for a global company like L'Oréal and build an international career. The third reason was that L'Oréal has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and is a company that delegates authority and gives responsibility to young people. I actually joined the company at the age of 27, and soon after joining I was put in charge of managing and guiding 200 employees in Indonesia, as well as managing profits and losses.
I have worked in eight countries in Asia, including Japan, for about 20 years, and from the perspective of the surrounding countries, working in Japan is a dream come true. Japan is a clean, orderly, and highly sophisticated country.
When I actually came to Japan, I realized that it was an even more wonderful country than I had imagined. I believe that we should make better use of our strengths, such as our innovation, pursuit of beauty, excellent distribution, and the humility that is unique to the Japanese people. This is also the reason why L'Oréal Japan has adopted the motto "Make Japan Shine," but it is also a personal wish that I would like to make come true.

■Japan is an important base in Asia

Japan is a very special country for L'Oréal. It is home to factories, a research and development center with 200 employees, and the world-famous brands Shu Uemura and Takami. In fact, the United States, France, China, and Japan are the only countries in the world that have everything: business and brand headquarters, factories, and research laboratories. Japan is an innovative country, so it also has an excellent aesthetic sense. It also has a strong ecosystem, and above all, it is believed to have a large number of conscious consumers.
In fact, Japan is a very large market, ranking third in the world in terms of market size and number one in terms of sales per capita. Furthermore, 50% of sales in Japan are skincare products, and unlike Europe, skincare is notable for its advanced status. Skincare is particularly important in Asia, and people also focus on hair care for shiny hair. They maintain high-quality skin and take appropriate measures against sagging and wrinkles, and it seems that they are more skincare conscious than any other country.
In 4, we acquired the skincare brand Takami, and our business scale has now expanded to about four times its size at that time.
The reason for the increase in sales was that Takami's abundant financial resources made it easier to invest in media. I was convinced that Takami's products had great potential and were worth investing in.
And by sending many talented people from L'Oréal to Takami, we were able to run the business better. Another major factor was that we were able to sell Takami's products in other parts of Asia, such as China and Singapore. By bringing Takami under our umbrella, we realized that Japanese brands still have room to grow and can succeed overseas. Also, over 90% of Takami's sales are online, so I think we were able to learn a different way of doing things than before.

■ Utilizing data to create beauty

L'Oréal has a variety of brands, and it is important to create a brand image for each one. The marketing department for each brand secures the appropriate influencers and sales channels and considers how to present the brand. For example, Takami is a brand originating in Japan, so a Japanese model with a similar skin type would be appropriate. One of L'Oréal's strengths is that it has enough data to meet such consumer needs. By utilizing a large amount of data, it is possible to develop products that meet the needs of people in each region.
Nihon L'Oréal is filled with employees who share the group's goal of "creating beauty that inspires the world." We believe that working with passion will lead to an awareness of being part of a company that has an impact on the world, not just in the pursuit of beauty, but also in sustainability, diversity, and other areas. That's why we want to work with ambitious people who have a strong desire to grow and who can be active worldwide.

■Message

Pursuing your passion without compromise will help you grow and lead a happy, successful life.

Student Newspaper October 2024 Edition Mai Wakao, 10nd year student at International Christian University

International Christian University, second year student Waka Watanabe / Tsuda University, second year student Karin Ishimatsu / Toyo University, second year student Rinno Koshiyama / Sophia University, third year student Hinata Amie / International Christian University, second year student Mai Wakao / Meiji University, second year student Yaku Sakai / Rikkyo University, fourth year student Kakuto Sudo / Musashino University, fourth year student Ryusei Nishiyama / Toyo University, third year student Chisaki Hashimoto