Recently, according to media reports, a senior leadership change is about to take place at Lancôme, a brand under L’Oréal. Françoise Lehmann has decided to step down from her position as Global Brand President of Lancôme, and her role will be taken over by Vania Lacascade, currently Chief Innovation Officer of L’Oréal Group’s Research and Innovation Division.
According to reports, Françoise Lehmann has been with L’Oréal since 1988 and took the helm at Lancôme in June 2013. During her tenure at Lancôme, she expanded multi-billion-euro businesses in many key areas. Under her leadership, Lancôme developed several best-selling collections and launched new product lines. For example, in skincare, Lancôme introduced the “Absolue Longevity Cream,” which caters to today’s growing interest in longevity.
Before joining Lancôme, Françoise Lehmann served as General Manager of Kérastase International, where she successfully modernized the brand image, accelerated product innovation, and elevated the service quality and customer consultation standards at points of sale to luxury brand levels. Prior to joining Kérastase in 2010, she was International Director of the Hair Coloration Business for L’Oréal Paris. Additionally, she held multiple roles at the makeup brand Gemey, including serving as Head of Marketing for the French market from 2000 to 2003.
Regarding Françoise Lehmann’s resignation, L’Oréal stated in a release, “Françoise Lehmann’s sharp strategic vision, pragmatic style, unwavering energy, innovation culture focused on serving women, and leadership skills have propelled Lancôme into the ranks of the world’s leading luxury brands. L’Oréal sincerely thanks her for the immense contributions she has made to the brands she has served and to the teams she has worked alongside.”
The incoming successor, Vania Lacascade, began working at L’Oréal in 2012. Reports indicate that she has previously served as Deputy General Manager of The Body Shop International, Global Marketing Director of Garnier International, and Product Manager at Givenchy International.
From December 2017 to November 2019, after joining L’Oréal, Vania Lacascade held the role of Senior Vice President of Global Skincare Marketing at Lancôme and was a member of the brand’s executive committee. From November 2019 to December 2022, she served as Global Brand President of Vichy, where she led the brand’s transformation and achieved double-digit sales growth in less than two years. Since January 2023, she has been serving as L’Oréal’s Chief Innovation Officer, leading the group’s global innovation strategy and working closely with the company’s four divisions.
