35 Under 35: Gayle Tait, General Manager of UK and Ireland business, L’Oréal

For our ongoing series, London-based writer Elizabeth Harrin spoke with Gayle Tait, a 32-year-old executive woman from cosmetics giant L’Oreal, about her career path, her international placement in Paris, and her ascension to general manager of Ireland and the UK.

General Manager of L’Oréal at the age of 32, Gayle Tait has come a long way—in a very short time—from the dreaming spires of Oxford. “Age doesn’t come into it,” she says. “As long as I do my job the best I can, I think people respond positively.”

“Initially I was interested in joining [the company] because it is a sector that appealed me personally,” Tait explained. “I did an internship in the summer between my second and third year at university and it was following that experience that I wanted to join L’Oréal permanently. The people, their energy and their passion, and the fact that I had so much responsibility so early on in my career, were very appealing to me.”

Tait’s first position was working in field sales, before she moved into category management. It wasn’t long before she took her first role in operational marketing role on skincare in the Garnier division. “After two years there, I moved to work on Elvive,” she explains.

At this time, Tait was offered the chance for an international placement. She moved to Paris, France – the home of L’Oréal – to work in the international marketing team. There she gained experience on a variety of products from hair care to cosmetics.

“Paris was an excellent experience,” Tait says. “Working in new product development starting with the formula development with the labs, through to the concept and the advertising. I returned to the UK to become Marketing Director of L’Oréal Paris UK, a job which I did for almost four years.”

Becoming General Manager

Earlier this year, Tait became General Manager for L’Oréal’s UK and Ireland business. “General Managers in L’Oréal run business units that incorporate all aspects of Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Logistics,” says Tait, who is currently reading Michael Watkins’ book The First 90 Days. “The job is about leading a team of great people, delivering results and making business decisions that impact our top and bottom line.”

Tait manages a team of 90 and has consistently delivered revenues ahead of the market by 30% over the last three years. She was also nominated as one of Management Today’s ‘Heroines for hard times’ in June. She recognises the importance of successful teamwork in getting the business to where it is today. “I’ve been very lucky to work with a team of very talented and committed individuals,” Tait says. “Our success has been about having a clear vision so we keep our objective in sight. Working closely with our retailer partners externally and our international teams internally has meant that we have been able to deliver the right plans in a very competitive UK market.”

Managing Work-Life Balance

Fortunately, Tait has managed to do that and still maintain a life outside of the office. “My husband and I love film and the arts, so we are big fans of the cinema and theatre,” she says. She is also actively involved in fund raising for the Charlie Waller Trust, a charity which helps raise awareness of depression with young adults and funds research into cognitive behavioural therapy.

“The five peak feast was a particular favourite!” Tait says. It was a sponsored walk with a difference: Tait and a group of friends climbed the five highest peaks in England, cooking a five-course gourmet dinner en route – one course at the top of each peak. They ate it at a proper dining table, wearing black tie. And that meant carrying the table, plus candelabra, cutlery and all the ingredients (plus champagne) up over 4000m of ascent.

Back at ground level, Tait is clear about the open recruitment and retention strategies that make L’Oréal a great place to work. “I think L’Oréal does a good job of recognising diversity and rewarding good performance,” she says. “We have a very successful mentoring programme for all employees.” L’Oréal is also very active in promoting the role of women in science, and has partnered with UNESCO to create the Agora forum which aims to promote women in scientific research.

Advice for Future General Managers

So what advice would Tait give women who are looking to move up into a General Manager position? “My experience has always been that it is better to thrive in the role you are in than to think too much about the next step up,” she says. “Of course it’s good to have ambition, but doing the job you’re in now, and doing it exceptionally well is the best way to succeed. Every role you do on the way up the ladder will help build a strong experience base you can pull on later, so moves that expand your horizons are really worthwhile.”

After only a few months in her current GM role Tait thinks it is “a bit premature” to be thinking about her next move. But watch this space–she’s certainly not reached the top of her career journey yet.