L'Oréal nabs communications officer from White House

NEW YORK — L'Oréal has appointed Kristina Schake as the company’s chief communications officer, effective July 8.

Schake will represent L'Oréal USA for all corporate communications and will lead the external communications strategy in the areas of public and media relations, industry and government relations, sustainability and crisis communications. She will also oversee the company’s corporate philanthropic programs.

Schakew was special assistant to President Obama and communications director to First Lady Michelle Obama. Prior to joining the White House in December 2010, Schake was co-founder and principal of Griffin/Schake, a California-based public affairs and strategic communications firm that specialized in helping civic leaders, major foundations and nonprofit organizations bring about critical social change through policy, legislative, social marketing and media initiatives. She was a founding board member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the sole sponsor of the federal court challenge to California's Proposition 8, which was heard before the U.S. Supreme Court in March. A native Californian, Schake is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University.

L'Oréal USA, headquartered in New York City, is the largest subsidiary of the L'Oréal Group, a leading global beauty company. The company's portfolio of leading brands includes Lancôme, Giorgio Armani Beauty, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Viktor & Rolf, Diesel, Cacharel, L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Vichy, La Roche-Posay, L'Oréal Professionnel, Kerastase and Shu Uemura Art of Hair. The U.S. is the base for product development, international marketing and advertising of L'Oreal's 13 American brands: Maybelline New York, Soft-Sheen.Carson, Kiehl's Since 1851, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Essie Cosmetics, Redken 5th Avenue NYC, Matrix, Mizani, Pureology, SkinCeuticals, Dermablend, Clarisonic and Urban Decay.