Louise has had a 35+ year career as a senior research & development leader in the consumer goods industry. She lived and worked in Europe, Asia and USA, first at Procter & Gamble and then at Avon where for 10 years as Chief Scientific Officer she led their global R&D organisation.
Growing up in South Africa, she was involved as a student in helping teach Maths to underprivileged black students and since then has been a passionate about promoting STEM education and women in science. Throughout her career, she has mentored many women scientists and was proud to lead an R&D organization with more than 70% women in her role as head of R&D at Avon. She also volunteered extensively to promote science studies to girls and underprivileged students.
A life-long advocate for sustainability, Louise also led Avon’s Sustainability program and under her leadership, the company has made big strides in developing new sustainable and regenerative solutions. She was Director on the Board of the Avon Foundation for 3 years and helped define how best to use funds to support key women’s causes. Louise is a scientist with a PhD in Chemistry from Cambridge University, UK. She is married, the proud mother of two daughters, a lifelong vegetarian, loves to travel, play sports and volunteer.