Case Studies

Mohamed, for the first 20 years of your career, your focus was exclusively on Quality. Can you explain why this is of vital importance in the FMCG organisations you have served?
I graduated with a dual major in Chemistry and Physics from Cairo University’s faculty of science. Upon graduating, my primary ambition was to apply my academic expertise in a professional setting. I believed that pursuing a career in either the FMCG or pharmaceutical industries would align best with the knowledge I had gained through my studies. I started my career with GSK, a leading organisation in the pharmaceutical field, and held several positions in its Quality division. Whilst with GSK, to further enrich my quality management knowledge, I studied Total Quality Management (TQM) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). After working in Quality for GSK for over 13 years, I joined L’Oréal in 2013 and served as the Quality Director at its Cairo plant in Egypt for 7 years. Quality is of vital importance in the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries, particularly in an organisation like L’Oréal, where Quality is considered one of the group’s core values and is expected to be built into the DNA of operations.

Can you tell us a little bit about L’Oréal and its ethos?
L’Oréal is a global leader in the beauty industry, selling over 7 billion products worldwide annually, equating to 42 billion euros in sales. L’Oréal has over 37 global beauty brands and 100 million consumers use its digital services. It has more than 40 manufacturing sites and over 140 distribution centres and third-party logistic hubs across the world. L’Oréal is known for innovation and won seven Innovation Awards at CES 2024, showcasing its leadership in beauty technology. L’Oréal has also been awarded a CDP triple ‘A’ score for nine consecutive years, highlighting its leadership in tackling climate change, protecting forests, and ensuring water security at all our manufacturing sites. As one of the world’s most ethical companies, at L’Oréal Group, the workforce shares a common purpose: to create the beauty that moves the world.

Your areas of responsibility expanded beyond Quality to encompass Health, Safety and the Environment in 2021. Can you share how this came about and what you did to prepare?
L’Oréal places a strong focus on talent development, always seeking opportunities to broaden the scope of its people and to stretch their capabilities. L’Oréal, believe its people are its most valuable asset and invests in their continuous development and growth.

For me, this is reflected in the encouragement I received to expand my remit beyond quality. The opportunity for me to manage EHS was a planned step intended to help me gain a broader, more global vision of the Group’s core values; Quality and EHS. This meant stepping outside my comfort zone and original area of expertise; but I was confident that the Group would provide all the assistance and resources I needed to succeed in my new role.

A key element of that support was being sponsored to complete the NEBOSH Diploma, which was proposed as a must-have to help me build a solid foundation of knowledge in my new field. Even before diving into the technical aspects, the focus was first on leadership. I learned how to achieve results through my team by encouraging, coaching, and guiding them, while giving the space they need to make decisions and manage responsibilities.

You signed up for the NEBOSH Level 6 International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals in 2022 and passed your final unit in April 2025.

• Why did you choose this qualification? - I chose this qualification because it is a solid and highly recognised qualification in the field of health and safety. I felt achieving it would have a significant positive impact on my career as for me there are no equivalents in terms of content and reputation. The NEBOSH Level 6 International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals provides advanced knowledge and helped me develop skills that are crucial for leading health and safety practices across any industry. Additionally, my organisation recommended it as a must-have for me at the time, as it would comprehensively cover the elements of my new QHSE Lead role that were less familiar to me.

• How did it help you? -The NEBOSH diploma, with its three units, covers all the essential knowledge and know-how for safety culture development across an organisation. It provides guidance on managing workplace hazards and addressing occupational health issues. Overall, it offers an excellent foundation and a solid background in health and safety.

You have worked as a QHSE Lead for L’Oréal since January 2021. Please tell us about this role and your key responsibilities.
As QHSE Lead, I focus on creating a safe, sustainable and high-performing environment at the Cairo plant. My core responsibilities include:

• Sustaining the Quality and EHS management systems across all operations to ensure site compliance with Group policies, elevating the quality and safety culture, protecting consumer health, safeguarding people’s health and safety, and upholding the company’s reputation.
• Creating and deploying the roadmap for achieving environmental targets.
• Implementing L’Oréal’s Health and Beauty programme.
• Eliminating and reducing safety risks.
•  Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Preparing for and maintaining ISO certification.
• Developing myself and others for our futures.

Since being appointed the QHSE lead, I've had the privilege of leading and contributing to some incredible milestones. Here are a few achievements I’m especially proud of:

• Successfully achieved ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 certifications.
• Drove safety culture evolution from the dependent phase to the independent phase on L’Oréal’s measures.
• Maintained zero lost-time incidents for over four consecutive years.
• Received the RoSPA “Health at Work” Trophy in 2023.
• Achieved 100% renewable energy usage in 2023.
• Led the successful implementation of an industrial wastewater recycling project in 2023.
• Achieved 90% sludge recycling and material recovery.
• Attained biodiversity net positive for the site.
• Awarded the RoSPA Gold Award for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, and 2025).

What is next for you in terms of your professional development?
I will shortly be relocating to L’Oréal ‘s head office in Paris to take on the role of Leader for the Auditing Team for L’Oréal worldwide. This is a great opportunity for me and will allow me to continue to utilise my experience in both the Quality and EHS domains.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the QHSE profession?
A well-managed QHSE system is fundamental to any organisation's success and should be integral to its very DNA. While all aspects of quality and EHS are crucial, fostering a strong safety culture is especially rewarding. This includes promoting not only workplace safety but also extending that mindset to employees' homes by encouraging a holistic approach to well-being, as exemplified by L'Oréal's "Safe@Work-Safe@Home" initiative. Furthermore, it is incredibly fulfilling to have the opportunity to empower individuals to be proactive and take responsibility for safety, to be the "hummingbird" both professionally and personally.

What advice would you give someone pursuing a career in QHSE?
For those pursuing a career in QHSE, I recommend continuous learning and embracing new challenges. Being willing to step outside your comfort zone is crucial and can lead to huge personal growth from my own experience. Enhance your knowledge and expertise with reputable programmes like the NEBOSH International General Certificate or Diploma, which can significantly boost your prospects in the health and safety profession due to their global recognition. Never think it's too late to start, as learning and growth are ongoing processes in this dynamic field.