The bold team

Global, knowledgeable, and experienced, the BOLD venture capital team scouts, invests in, and accompanies startups strategic for the L’Oréal Groupe and the future of beauty.

Global team

  • laurent

    As the President of BOLD, Laurent supervises the BOLD activities.

    Prior to his current role, Laurent held a string of leadership positions within L’Oréal, including CFO Africa Middle East zone, CFO and Supply Chain Czech Republic and General Manager L’Oréal Luxe Brazil. Laurent is today Global Head of Corporate Finance and Financial Communication. He holds a degree from Sciences Po.

    Laurent Schmitt

    President

  • Samantha Etienne

    Samantha defines BOLD investment strategy and oversees all BOLD operations globally.

    Samantha has a comprehensive business profile. Before joining BOLD, she was Global General Manager of Sephora Collection, the beauty retailer’s private label brand, and a member of Sephora's Executive Committee. She also held leadership roles at Canal+ Group and L'Oréal. She graduated from ESSEC Business School.

    Samantha Etienne

    Global Managing Partner

  • Muriel Atias

    As BOLD’s Chief Investment Officer, Muriel ensures successful executions across all investments globally while managing the portfolio companies throughout the investment period.

    With some 20 years’ financial experience, she started as an M&A investment banker at BNP Paribas. In 2014, she joined L’Oréal’s Group’s Corporate Finance team where she worked on multiple acquisitions for the L’Oréal Group. She is a founding member of BOLD. Muriel graduated from ESSEC Business School, with a major in Finance.

    Muriel Atias

    Chief Investment Officer

  • Louise leads the global management of the BOLD portfolio, driving business development and ensuring the success of portfolio companies to maximize value creation, for both L’Oréal and startups. A seasoned marketing expert, she brings 20 years of hybrid experience at L’Oréal, blending deep product development expertise with hands-on operational leadership across both country and Zone roles.

    Louise Millon De La Verteville

    Portfolio Director

  • Adeline Girou

    As the CFO of BOLD, Adeline supervises the financial operations of the fund, including the periodic assessment of its performance.

    Adeline began her career as an external auditor at EY, followed by several roles at L’Oréal in France and the USA, as Finance Director in Manufacturing and Business organizations, at the local and global levels. Adeline graduated from EDHEC Business School, with a major in Finance.

    Adeline Girou

    CFO

  • Camille Jaegle-Pons

    As BOLD Legal Counsel, Camille supports the BOLD team on all legal aspects.

    Before joining BOLD, she worked at Bpifrance Investissement on private equity and venture capital and fundraising deals. Previously she held associate roles at law firms such as Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Bird & Bird. Camille passed the Paris bar in 2007.

    Camille Jaegle-Pons

    Associate General Counsel

  • Valerie is a highly skilled Executive Assistant with extensive experience navigating the fast-paced world of luxury and retail. For the past four years, she has been a key asset at L'Oréal, providing dedicated administrative and strategic support within the Corporate Finance & Legal division of the Group

    Valerie Painchaud

    Executive Assistant

Investment team

  • Presca Ahn

    Prior to joining BOLD, Presca was an investment manager at the private equity fund Five Arrows. Previously, she was an investment banker at Rothschild & Co and the CEO of M WOODS. Presca received a BA with distinction from Yale College and an MSc with distinction from the London School of Economics, where she was a Fulbright Scholar. She also received an MBA from INSEAD. She holds French and American nationalities.

    Presca Ahn

    Investment Director

  • Arnaud serves as one of BOLD's Investment Directors, where he leads European investments with a focus on beauty and science-driven innovation. 

    Before joining BOLD, Arnaud was Head of European Investments at Illumina Ventures, focusing on life sciences, healthcare, and enabling technologies. His earlier career includes significant investment roles at M Ventures and Seventure Partners, where he actively participated in numerous transactions spanning therapeutics, diagnostics, and life science tools. Arnaud holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Pasteur Institute and an MSc in Finance from ESCP Europe Business School.

    Arnaud Autret

    Investment Director

  • Xiaolin serves an one of BOLD's Investment Directors, where she covers North Asian investments.

    Before joining BOLD, Xiaolin worked in social media company rednote (Xiaohongshu) as investment director focus on consumer VC investment.  And previously, she had experience in various stages of consumer sector investments.

     Xiaolin received a BA degree in Physics from Fudan University.

     

    Xiaolin Zhang

    Investment Director

  • Filippo Principi

    As an investor in the BOLD team, Filippo supports the Investment Directors on all origination and execution aspects.

    Previously, he worked in the innovation and corporate venture departments of international companies such as Vodafone, Adecco Group and AB InBev. Filippo has an MSc in Management Engineering from Milan’s Polytechnic University and an MBA from INSEAD.

    Filippo Principi

    Investor