SVP, Head of Supply Chain Americas
L’Oréal Americas
Clark N.J.
Rahquel Purcell joined L’Oréal to transform its $10 billion Americas supply chain operations, armed with more than two decades of executive experience in purchasing and supply chain operations at Procter & Gamble (P&G), and an abundance of passion.
“To convince leadership that fundamental, disruptive changes to our business were necessary to drive a step change in results, you need to demonstrate equal parts passion and know-how,” she asserts.
As senior vice president, head of Supply Chain Americas at L’Oréal, Purcell draws heavily from her tenure at P&G, including her 3.5 years on assignment in Geneva, Switzerland, as the first African-American executive in Purchases to take an international assignment and lead a business unit outside of the U.S.
“I had responsibility for Western and Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East and Africa, stretching me to immerse in diverse cultures, languages, and business norms,” Purcell recounts. Her love of sports taught her the value of teamwork and competition, which she applies to her work every day.
“I am a strategist at heart, appreciating the importance of having a bold vision to take the right short-term steps and a nurturer of talent, working hard to help people achieve their personal best. I am a change agent by trade, in pursuit of innovative ideas and personal continuous improvement,” she states.
Purcell has a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and graduated from honorary business programs at MIT, Harvard, and the CEDEP Business School in Paris.
A woman of faith and a proud mother of two children, she credits her husband of 22 years as her “secret weapon and in-house coach.” She adds, “I come from good stock. My father raised me to think, not act, like a man…. My mother is a quiet force.”
