L’Oréal Names Rahquel Purcell to Lead North America DE&I Strategy
Her move reflects a wider beauty industry shift toward connecting inclusion with consumer insight, innovation and the ability to serve increasingly diverse markets.
AMERICA – L’Oréal has appointed Rahquel Purcell as its new Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Officer for North America, placing a senior executive with extensive operations, supply chain and transformation experience at the centre of the beauty giant’s efforts to strengthen its inclusive business strategy.
Effective immediately, Purcell will report to Alexis Perakis-Valat, CEO of L’Oréal USA and President of North America. She will retain her position on the L’Oréal USA management committee and join the global leadership team of Margaret Johnston-Clarke, L’Oréal’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer.
The appointment brings a significant operational perspective to a function increasingly connected to consumer engagement, product development and business growth across the beauty industry.
Purcell has spent the past four years serving as L’Oréal North America’s first Chief Transformation Officer, a position created in 2022 to coordinate and accelerate major enterprise-wide transformation initiatives.
During her tenure, she established the transformation function, built a specialist team and introduced new organisational capabilities.
Her earlier experience includes leading L’Oréal’s North American supply chain and operations, giving her broad exposure to the company’s commercial and operational infrastructure.
Purcell joined L’Oréal USA in January 2016 as Vice President of Supply Chain North America after a 23-year career in supply chain at Procter & Gamble in the US and Europe.
She became Senior Vice President of Supply Chain North America in 2017 before taking on the role of Chief Operations Officer, North America, in 2020.
In that position, she helped steer L’Oréal through pandemic-related disruption, including market shutdowns, rapid e-commerce growth, supply chain constraints and labour shortages.
Connecting inclusion with growth
Purcell said her new role would focus on connecting strategy, people and execution while using L’Oréal’s innovation capabilities and consumer insights to build stronger relationships with diverse consumers and communities.
The appointment comes as beauty companies increasingly recognise that consumer diversity is influencing product development, marketing, retail experiences and brand positioning.
Understanding different consumer needs has become an important part of competing in a market characterised by increasingly personalised beauty expectations.
Alexis Perakis-Valat said Purcell’s operational expertise and transformational leadership would help L’Oréal continue developing an innovative and inclusive culture while accelerating progress in DE&I.
Purcell succeeds Liliahn Majeed, who is leaving L’Oréal after three years to pursue opportunities outside the company.
The leadership transition signals L’Oréal’s intention to further integrate DE&I into its wider business and transformation agenda, linking workplace culture with innovation, consumer relevance and long-term growth.
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