Karen Fondu, President of L’Oréal Paris USA, to Retire

Fondu has had a storied career at L'Oreal USA, spanning numerous job responsibilities. Her retirement is effective at the end of the year.
Fondu has had a storied career at L'Oreal USA, spanning numerous job responsibilities. Her retirement is effective at the end of the year.

L'Oréal USA, which recently acquired IT Cosmetics, has announced that Karen Fondu, president of L’Oréal Paris USA, will retire, capping off a 37-year career at the company. Fondu's departure will be effective at the end of the year; she will be succeeded by Ikdeep Singh.

Fondu began her career with L’Oréal in 1979, holding various roles, including sales representative for hair colorants, key account manager, district manager of L’Oréal Mid Atlantic; regional manager of L’Oréal West Coast; vice president sales of L’Oréal Cosmetics Division, including L’Oréal Paris and, later, Maybelline; deputy general manager of Maybelline New York/Garnier; president, Maybelline New York/Garnier; and, finally, president of L’Oréal Paris USA.

Singh has been the president of L’Oréal Canada’s consumer products division since July 2014. Prior to that, he was with P&G, where he served as the China general manager for all of P&G’s hair care brands.

Singh will report to Michel Brousset, president of L’Oréal USA’s consumer products division.

“Karen Fondu is a highly dedicated and passionate professional who has devoted her entire career to L’Oréal,” said Jean-Paul Agon, chairman and CEO of L’Oréal. “Her strategic vision and expert knowledge of building brands and infusing them with inspiration and ambition has made her one of the most recognized and admired professionals in the beauty industry. I want to honor with respect, admiration and affection a very great lady of the L'Oréal organization and wish Karen every happiness and success in this new life that lies ahead of her.”

“Karen Fondu’s legacy at L’Oréal goes beyond even her extraordinary business success and professional achievements,” said Frédéric Rozé, president and CEO of L’Oréal USA. “Over the course of her career, Karen trained, mentored and developed several generations of talent, who have in turn gone on to have remarkable careers and contribute to L’Oréal’s success. Karen also worked tirelessly to engage the community, champion women’s empowerment, and expand L’Oréal Paris’s philanthropic initiative, Women of Worth, to celebrate the individual beauty and intrinsic worth of every woman.”

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