THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW
Born and raised in Cyprus, Ezgi Barcenas grew up acutely aware of environmental constraints, particularly water scarcity, which informed her early understanding of resource limits.
After four years studying electrical biomedical engineering in the US, she embarked on a journey: to see her engineering roots have an impact on a greater scale. After several years in the public sector and international development, she moved into the private sector, completing an MBA and spending over a decade in the beverage industry.
This trajectory informs her curious, systems-thinking approach to sustainability, which emphasises collaboration, innovation, scale, integration and measurable outcomes. Today, she leads L’ Oréal’ s global corporate responsibility efforts, overseeing both sustainability strategy and philanthropic initiatives.
Science, innovation and beauty L’ Oréal has long positioned itself as a science-led beauty company, but its sustainability strategy is now equally central to its identity.
At the helm of this movement is Ezgi and her engineering mindset that supports strategy in climate, nature, circularity and social impact through the‘ L’ Oréal for the Future’ programme. Her perspective is rooted in design thinking, applied across the entire value chain.“ Sustainability is the ultimate brief for design,” Ezgi says. She frames sustainability as a fundamental lens
“Sustainability is a team sport”
Ezgi Barcenas Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer L’ Oréal
through which products, processes and systems must be reimagined. From ingredient sourcing to consumer engagement, L’ Oréal is embedding sustainability at every stage of its operations.
This approach reflects a broader shift within the company towards what it calls“ dual excellence”.
Embedding sustainability into business performance Rather than separating financial and environmental goals, L’ Oréal positions them as mutually reinforcing. The company’ s long-standing governance model deliberately avoids siloing sustainability under a single function. Instead, responsibility is distributed across leadership, including close collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer, Christophe Babule.
“ The more we see ourselves as an integral part of progressing and supporting society, the more we can continue to offer the best products and services to our consumers and communities around the world,” Ezgi explains.“ This reinforces our strategy and commitment to dual excellence and is why our CFO is one of my best partners around the table,
22 August 2026