Antoinette Hamilton
Age: 34, Director, Diversity & Inclusion
L’Oreal USA, New York City
Named director of diversity and inclusion at L’Oreal USA in 2009, Antoinette Hamilton is the architect of the company’s first diversity and inclusion Web portal. Beyond technology, Hamilton spearheads projects supporting L’Oreal’s diversity commitment in the marketplace, work force and workplace. She says that these initiatives ensure that L’Oreal’s diversity and inclusion policies continue to add value to the bottom line.
Hamilton joined L’Oreal fresh from three years of promoting language education in Osaka, Japan, for the Osaka Board of Education. She was selected for that role by the Japanese Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after working for INROADS, a nonprofit that promotes advancement for college students of color. “Education is something that I believe serves the spirit well. It opens the door for so many possibilities,” says Hamilton.
In Japan, her passion for exploring new horizons led her to climb Mt. Fuji in the middle of the night to see the sun rise. She enjoys traveling — she has visited 23 countries — and welcomes the opportunity to work at L’Oreal operations in France, South Africa or Japan.
Hamilton volunteers with the special projects committee of The New York Women’s Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating poverty among women and girls in New York City. “I naturally gravitate to those organizations that encourage young girls to be brave, confident and smart” she says. At L’Oreal, for example, she manages the Coalition of 100 Black Women Role Model Program, which hosts 50 women and girls from City University of New York schools for professional development workshops, matches them with mentors and provides education stipends.
Hamilton obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from Hampton University.
Fun Facts
Favorite author: J. California Cooper
What artist would you go on tour with: Prince
Other languages spoken: Japanese, Spanish
Favorite singer: B.B. King
Favorite sport: Skiing
