The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company.

It was
founded in 1909. It has five key areas of expertise in hair colour, skin care, sun
protection, make-up, perfumes and hair care services. The company is active in the
dermatological and pharmaceutical fields and is the top nanotechnology patent-
holder in the United States.

It has registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-
de-Seine, France.

L’Oréal has five worldwide research and development centres: two in France: Aulnay
and Chevilly; one in the U.S.: Clark, New Jersey; one in Japan: Kawasaki,
Kanagawa Prefecture; and in 2005, one was established in Shanghai, China. A
future facility in the US will be in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.

About L’Oreal

Revenue €17.47 billion (2009). Profit €2578 million.

Products distributed in 130 countries with 23 global brands.

L’oréal named one of the “world’s most ethical companies” for 2010.

Largest market share and cosmetic sales in western Europe and North America.

Products and Services

1. Consumer services

High technology products at competitive prices distributed through mass market

retailing channels. Garnier, L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline NY.

2. Professional Products

Portfolio of brands that meet the requirements of hair salons and provide customers
with a wide range of innovative products. L’Oreal Professional, Matrix, Kerastase.

3. Luxury Products

Prestigious brands which offer customer products and premium service in

department stores, speciality stores and travel retail outlets.
 4. Active cosmetics

Dermo cosmetic products sold in pharmacies and specialist retailers and supported
by advice from pharmacists and dermatologists.

The body shop

Naturally inspired and fairly traded products sold in over 2300 stores throughout the
world.

Joint ventures

L’Oréal holds 10.41% of the shares of Sanofi-Aventis, the world's number 3 and
Europe's number 1 pharmaceutical company.

The Laboratoires Innéov is a joint venture in nutritional cosmetics between L’Oréal

and Nestlé; they draw on L’Oréal's knowledge in the fields of nutrition and food
safety.

Galderma is another joint venture in dermatology between L'Oréal and Nestlé.

Research and Development

Products are based on intensive scientific research with 3000 scientists who work in
state-of- the-art research centres around the world.

One third of the company’s Research and Development resources are allocated to
fundamental research projects, which are targeted at progressing knowledge in three
main disciplines: skin, hair and color.

L’Oreal International Safety Evaluation Division uses a multi-disciplinary scientific

approach to evaluate the safety of products, ensuring that commitment to product
safety is upheld at every stage in the product’s life.

This safety assurance procedure includes an assessment based on the latest

medical and scientific research, rigorous safety evaluations of ingredients as well as
finished products, examination of the effects of cumulative product use and ongoing
safety monitoring once a product is on the market.

Generic Questions:
• Is it possible that a summer intern is offered a job at your company on the
basis of internship performance?
 • What are the qualities that your company gives priority to while selecting a
candidate for the internship?
• Questions on work culture?

• Example: How do you ensure work life balance in your organization?

• Typical career path in L’Oreal

• Example: What is the hierarchy at L’Oreal and what is the typical growth plan
in L’Oreal?
• What are your expectations from a summer intern?
• What are the work profiles/projects that we can expect as a summer intern?
• How important is it to posses work experience to secure a summer internship
in L’Oreal?

Specific Questions

• What are the challenges faced by the cosmetic industry in India ?

(e.g. Indian duty structure on imported products poses a major deterrent to
multinational vendors)

• What are the growth opportunities in the cosmetic sector with the changing
socio economic status of Indian consumers?

• How does L’Oreal meet the highly demanded quality standards of cosmetic
business?

• What are the kinds of distribution channels you use to manage large vendor
network in India?

• What are the techniques which you adopt to understand the market demand?

• Is there any manufacturing process outsourcing? If yes, how the quality

standards are ensured?

• As cosmetics industry is highly competitive. How do you maintain competitive

edge over others?

• What is the extent of competition faced by the L’Oreal from the existent
Herbal cosmetics sector in India?

• As Marico has started very successful Kaya skin clinics likewise does L’Oreal
plans to diversify in this service?