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On any regular school day, the iconic UP Ikot jeeps are there to take students to their next class or anywhere they need to be in the University. It’s hard to imagine UP without them — they’ve become a normal, everyday part of a UP student’s routine. However, for visitors of the school, hitching a ride in an Ikot jeep is something unfamiliar and interesting enough to try. It is exactly what L’Oreal Asia-Pacific Executive Vice President Jochen Zaumseil wanted to do after giving a talk in the campus about his 36-year long career in L’Oreal. He was eager to visit UP, a great campus partner of L’Oreal. A number of exceptional L’Oreal talents who have found great success around the world are from UP. He invited us over for a jeepney ride so that we could chat and tour him around the campus, and we gladly accepted. We asked about his work in the Asia-Pacific region, his successful career and his insights on the beauty industry. Read our conversation with him below:
What makes the Asia market unique, and what's the best part of working in it?
Uniqueness - it is so diverse, you have the oldest countries, you have ancient countries like Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, you have climate changes, you have all religions in the world here, so it's a very diverse and growing region. The people are what make it unique. It’s always fascinating to work with Asia and the Philippines since they are a little bit different. I worked for 6 years in Latin America, and when I come to the Philippines, it’s always in between — half Asian and half Latin America.
So why did you choose the beauty industry, and why L'Oreal?
I was studying in France, in one of the private schools, HEC [Paris], and there was a campus presentation like the one today. I was inspired by something I didn't know before. I was one of the first non-French interns, there weren't a lot of males at the time, and I was attracted to the unknown. My French friends told me it (L’Oreal) was a great company, and that I wouldn’t regret it. I never did.
After so many years working in L’Oréal, what does beauty mean to you? How do you envision the future of the beauty industry?
The future of the beauty industry is very related to Asia. Asia is the most emergent region in the world, and Asian women and men are very inspired. They love great brands, they love great quality, and the beauty industry will grow with Asia. It is a very strong statement, and a very strong fact.
