I first visited Japan in 1999 when we relaunched the brand Maybelline New York that L’Oreal Group had just acquired. I arrived in Tokyo and saw highways crossing at multiple levels, yet not a single sound of honking. I saw millions of people rushing in the train stations, but no one pushing me. And I met quiet people speaking less and saying more than anywhere else in the world.

My motto is a quote from Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Sometimes there are anxieties or doubts before important projects and it may take a lot of effort to create a collective spirit of change and evolution. It reminds me every day that resilience and passion in pursuit of high goals is the secret to real success.

I was proud to lead a great team at L’Oreal Germany when we became the No. 1 beauty company in this highly competitive market in 2012. Great partnerships with customers and a very talented team enabled us to reach the top. But I like to think that the most beautiful victory is the one to come.

My No. 1 goal is to set key milestones for our long-term success in Japan: be in the top three in the categories we enter, develop a highly professional and motivated Japanese team and offer innovative beauty products and services to empower all Japanese women to live beautifully. I’d like to build on the long history of Nihon L’Oreal as a source of inspiration to the L’Oreal Group with unique trends and innovations.

Be yourself, be the best at what you do and cultivate your uniqueness while respecting Japanese manners, spirit and civilization. I believe Japanese consumers are experts and have an eye for innovative products. At the same time, if you want to be respected, create long-term relationships and maintain  a good reputation, you need to respect Japan’s uniqueness.