Carol J. Hamilton

Carol Hamilton is the “grande dame” and one of the most respected executives of the American beauty industry. During her 30-year career with L’Oréal USA, she has been integral to its direction in the U.S. and its international development.

Carol joined L’Oréal USA in 1984 as Director of Marketing for L’Oréal Cosmetics. In 2002, she was named President. Under her leadership, the L’Oréal Paris brand became the largest beauty brand in the USA, growing from a $150M to $1.5B business. In 2008, Carol was named President of the L’Oréal Luxe Division, overseeing all Luxe brands including Giorgio Armani, Lancôme, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Yves Saint Laurent, Viktor & Rolf, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Clarisonic, Urban Decay, and most recently, the fragrance license of Proenza Schouler. During her eight years running L’Oréal Luxe, she has propelled it from a $1B business to a $1.8B business, gaining market share and dramatically increasing its profitability. In January 2016, Carol was promoted to Group President, L’Oréal Luxe USA, where she is involved in the search for and evaluation of new acquisitions and their integration into L’Oréal, as well as contributing to the global division’s strategy. Carol was named a 2016 Matrix Award Honoree. She is also the recipient of Cosmetic Executive Women’s (CEW) Achiever Award and the Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research by the Cancer Research Institute. Carol sits on the Board of Governors of Cosmetic Executive Women, The Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board, FIT CFMM (Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management) Industry Advisory Board, and the U.S. New York Regional Board for UNICEF.