Lancome USA has a new president. Eric Lauzat, who’s been previously working with L’Oreal, will take over his new position on May 15.

The 52-year-old French has worked as the general manager of L’Oreal’s prestige and collections travel-retail division worldwide.

He has the American citizenship and lived for couple years in Miami in the Seventies and again in the Nineties. He was also overseeing the company’s business in Middle East, Africa, Oceania and Latin America. Previously he was also based in China, running three L’Oreal’s brands.

However, his career began with Lancome in October 1974, where he started as the sales manager.

Lauzat called Edgar Huber “the best coach in the business” and claimed that he is happy “to have been trusted with the Lancome brand.”

Lauzat’s position has previous been taken by Vincent Boinay, who is currently second in command of the French Luxury Products Division for L’Oreal. At one point, noted Lauzat, Boinay had helmed the firm’s travel-retail business in Europe.

Lancome does about $600 million at wholesale in the U.S. and takes the third place after Clinique and Estee Lauder in department stores.

In his statement Lauzat added: “It’s new to me, being number three, because in travel-retail we were used to kicking the bottoms of our competitors. We don’t like not being number one, and we’re putting steps in place to get us in the lead. I feel very confident about the future of Lancome in the U.S.”