Lindsay Owen-Jones
Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 17, 1946 Wales |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Known for | Chairman and CEO of L'Oréal (1988–2011) |
Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, KBE (born 17 March 1946), is a businessman of Welsh origin who held the positions of chairman and CEO at the cosmetics leader L'Oréal from 1988 until 2011.
As of May 2019, he was ranked 292nd on the UK Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated fortune of £467 million.
Education
Owen-Jones completed his schooling at Uppingham School before pursuing Modern Languages at Worcester College, Oxford. He later earned an MBA from INSEAD. His philanthropic efforts include a £30 million donation to Worcester College, which the Provost has described as transformative.
Career
Starting his career with L'Oréal in 1969 as a sales representative, Owen-Jones advanced to become CEO and Chairman in 1988 at the age of 42. Under his leadership, L'Oréal evolved from a mainly European company into a dominant global force in the beauty industry. He relinquished his role as Executive Chairman in 2011 but continues to hold the title of Honorary President.
In addition to his work at L'Oréal, Owen-Jones holds board positions at Ferrari SpA, BNP Paribas, and Sanofi, and serves on the supervisory board of Air Liquide. Outside the corporate sphere, he acts as President of the FIA's Endurance Commission and has a background as a successful racing driver.
Awards
Owen-Jones has been honored as a Commandeur of the Légion d'Honneur and holds the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 2002, Spanish magazine Futuro awarded him "Best European Manager," while Business Week recognized him among Europe's leading business figures. Notably, he was the first non-French CEO to receive France’s "Manager of the Year 2002 Award" from Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
In 2004, he was named one of the "25 Most Influential People in Fashion" by Time Magazine and was distinguished as the sole British CEO heading a company listed on Paris's CAC 40 index.
April 2005 saw him honored by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs with the rank of Commander in the Légion d’Honneur for his services to France. That year, he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.