NEWNEW YORKYORK

The Beauty of Giving

An Interview with Deborah Krulewitch, Senior Vice President-Corporate Administration, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

EDITORS’ NOTE Deborah Krulewitch its employees – this has made the we established The Estée Lauder Scholars joined The Estée Lauder Companies difference. Program and have fi nancially supported 204 in 1988 after serving for two How does the company de- students through secondary school. years as Project Director for termine where to focus its phil- Many of our brands also have their the restoration of the Grand anthropic efforts? own philanthropic commitments. For exam- Army Plaza/Pulitzer Fountain Guided by our family values, ple, since founding the M.A.C. AIDS Fund Partnership as part of the we invest our philanthropic dol- in 1994, M.A.C. Cosmetics has raised more Central Park Conservancy. Prior lars in communities where we live, than $325 million to confront the HIV/AIDS to this, she was the Executive work, and have a presence. epidemic. M.A.C. AIDS Fund is now the Director for the Restoration of Leonard Lauder initially hired largest corporate foundation and second Gracie Mansion from 1984 un- me to be the fundraiser to restore largest private donor in the U.S. for HIV/ til 1986, reporting to New York Grand Army Plaza. AIDS causes. City’s Mayor Edward Koch. Active Deborah Krulewitch I told him that if we were suc- How critical is it that your workforce in community affairs, Krulewitch cessful, I wanted to work at Estée mirrors your diverse client base? is the Director Emerita for Publicolor. She is Lauder. After we raised the money for the Inclusion and diversity have always been also on the Board of Directors and serves as restoration, he called and offered me a job part of our DNA, particularly with brands like Secretary of The Breast Cancer Research handling corporate contributions. M.A.C., which appeals to everyone around the Foundation. She is a board member of The I came in already knowing that Evelyn world with its credo “All Ages, All Races, All Gracie Mansion Conservancy; serves as and Leonard Lauder were generous; before Sexes.” Chairman Emerita of the Historic House there was even a Central Park Conservancy, Our diverse portfolio of brands brings us Trust of New York City; and was Vice-Chair they had funded three Central Park play- different ideas about what consumers want, of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC under grounds through a public/private partnership so we’re able to be sensitive to everybody’s Mayor Bloomberg. She is on the Executive with New York City. These playgrounds still beauty needs and cultural nuances. Committee at The Coalition for the Homeless’ exist. They were the first playgrounds that We also recently started employee re- First Step Program. Krulewitch holds a had been supported by private citizens, and source groups (ERG), with one of the goals Master’s Degree from New York University’s this public/private partnership now exists being to empower our diverse workforce to Shirley M. Ehrenkranz School of Social Work throughout the city. get to know each other and work together. and worked in the field for 12 years prior to In taking over the company’s philan- They’re also interested in professional devel- her role at Gracie Mansion. thropic contributions, I began manag- opment and in giving back to the communi- ing requests from everybody in the city. My ties they represent. These groups have been COMPANY BRIEF The Estée Lauder goal was to manage the funds in a way that critical to continuing our heritage of inclusion Companies Inc. (elcompanies.com) is one matched the family’s values and those of our and diversity. of the world’s leading manufacturers and company. Today, we have a corporate contri- What makes New York City so special? marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fra- butions committee, comprised of senior lead- So many diverse people have come to grance, and hair care products. The compa- ers from across our company. New York and built better lives, and raised ny’s products are sold in over 150 countries In 1992, Evelyn Lauder founded the com- families by working hard. These experiences and territories under more than 25 brand pany’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, have molded this city into one that supports names. which is devoted to defeating breast cancer this most unique group of people who live through education and medical research. She here. Immigrants continue to arrive on a What makes this company so special? had discovered there was little money for daily basis, not to mention millions of tour- If you visit here, you know what makes breast cancer research at the time, and there ists each year. it so special. There is a lot of longevity here. were many brilliant researchers without ad- There is also a great spirit here of help- First, it was a family-incubated business equate funding. Through our employees and ing others and providing opportunities for started by Mrs. Estée Lauder. Her son, Leonard, many of our brands, The BCA Campaign has people to be successful, although it can be took her ideas and was able to capitalize on raised more than $53 million to date and is very diffi cult. For example, there are 55,000 the groundwork she had laid, and take it to now active in more than 70 countries. people who are homeless right now in New department stores and expand internationally. We are also very dedicated to women’s York City. There is a major housing shortage, He is a brilliant marketer and set a high bar for education and empowerment, and have been and there are individual problems in various product development and safety as the com- involved in many programs in New York City, neighborhoods. pany pursued its passion for wanting to make including The Young Women’s Leadership But there is so much energy and creativ- every woman feel beautiful. Schools, Coalition for the Homeless, and ity from people who really want to help that The values that stem from the family Publicolor. We also support young girls in it always remains encouraging. I’m proud that started this company, and those same val- Vietnam who lack the fi nancial means to obtain this spirit of giving remains so strong in our ues still guide the way the company treats an education; through The Asia Foundation, company and in our people.• 138 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 37, NUMBER 4