L’Oreal appoints Bakkari as new managing director for Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Beauty leader L’Oréal has announced the appointment of Yassine Bakkari as new managing director to spearhead the next era of growth for its Philippine unit.

Bakkari succeeds Yannick Raynaud, who led the company to achieving strong recovery and growth after the pandemic.

It was under Raynaud’s leadership that L’Oreal set a bold course for responsible growth by making environmental and social commitments in the country with the launch of L’Oréal’s Digital Beauty Academy program and L’Oréal’s first Green Joint Business Plan in the region with Watsons.

Bakkari will build upon this momentum and ensure the company continues to provide consumers with the best beauty products, while upholding sustainability commitments.

“The Philippines is a dynamic beauty market with immense potential for growth. I’m excited to collaborate with the driven team behind L’Oréal Philippines, strengthen strategic partnerships with our partners and retailers and drive the company to a new chapter of growth leveraging technology and innovation guided by our strong sense of purpose,” Bakkari said.

The new managing director has over two decades of experience in operations management and business transformation in diverse markets.

Prior to joining the L’Oreal Group in 2014 as a plant general manager in Turkey, Bakkari has worked in markets in the Middle East such as Egypt and Syria.

After Turkey, Bakkari was assigned to other markets like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as operations director for Middle East, as well as in Morocco as general manager for the consumer products division.

In 2022, he moved to Kenya to lead the L’Oréal East Africa cluster including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia as managing director, responsible for managing the business operations of all divisions with an integrated factory and research and development center.

His years of experience have instilled in him a commitment to pursue responsible business growth.

He champions socially responsible programs that support women’s empowerment like the Digital Beauty Academy and Beauty for a Better Life.

In addition, he plays an important role in the company’s commitment to reduce plastic waste to minimize its environmental footprint and support communities through livelihood building.

Under Bakkari’s leadership, L’Oreal aims to strengthen its position as a leading, digital-first beauty brand in the country.