Shakila Bik
Skin & beauty science specialist
Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Director at L’Oréal UK & Ireland
Bringing together beauty, innovation, and equality in STEM
Shakila Bik is Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Director at L’Oréal UK & Ireland. Her journey into STEM began with an early fascination with the moon in a school project and conversations with her father who was a civil engineer. Beyond her role, she champions gender equity in STEM through the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science initiative. Shakila believes in the power of fostering curiosity, effective communication, and collaboration to succeed in STEM.
An early fascination for the moon
My earliest moments of STEM were undeniably positive. I vividly recall being seven or eight years old and working on school project about the moon, where I had to draw the different phases.
After that, I was endlessly fascinated by science, and it left an indelible mark on me. Even now, years later, I smile just thinking about it. That moment ignited a passion for science in me and that spark still continues to this day with my role at L’Oréal.
Having positive role models around you is crucial and my dad, a civil engineer, was my earliest STEM role model. He’s been my biggest supporter and the inspiration for my career, and his guidance still continues to shape my journey.
My career at L’Oréal
As a Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Director at L’Oréal UK & Ireland, I’m proud to be part of an organisation that contributes to evolve and innovation. Founded 115 years ago by a chemist, L’Oréal now has over 4000 scientists – 69% of which are women – crafting innovative formulations and products in labs around the world.
I’ve always been a curious person and I love learning about new things whether that’s new products, new innovations, or new regulations. Everything is constantly innovating, and for me, that means there’s so much more for me to learn and discover.
At L’Oréal, we invest so much in research and innovation across our 37 international brands responding to the ever-evolving needs of our consumers. I strongly feel that beauty plays such a crucial role in our lives, shaping our identity. It shapes my personal identity, my sense of self-expression, and my confidence in who I am.
Supporting women and their futures in STEM
As a woman in STEM, I’m aware of the gender inequality and barriers faced by women in the field. At L’Oréal we’re deeply committed to addressing this issue through the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science programme, which has been running for over 25 years and plays a vital role in supporting and empowering women in STEM.
In the UK we host local awards at the House of Commons, where five grants are awarded to exceptional women scientists to fund their research or further their career in other ways.
Our L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre at the Royal Institution also offers young people from the age of seven hands-on experience in science outside of their classroom, which is super imaginative. The lab is really inspiring and whenever I pop in for visit, I’m in awe of how wonderful a space it is for young people to really develop their science skills in an immersive way. I really love how it offers young people the chance to get hands-on experience with a variety of workshops.
Nurturing collaboration and communication
One of my key bits of advice for anyone wanting to enter the world of STEM is to learn to communicate effectively. You could be an expert or know the most about a subject, but unless you can communicate that effectively, articulate yourself and get the message across, you may lose the impact of what it is you’re trying to say.
Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. It’s totally okay to not understand something. If you don’t understand something, keep asking until you fully understand and can share that knowledge with others
Something I also wasn’t aware of earlier on in my career is how important it is to be able to build strong collaborative relationships. In my role now, I work with so many different parts of the organisation, and it’s such an important part of what I do. Scientists collaborate with so many areas of the business; with all the brand teams (37 currently!), our corporate teams, our global teams, all playing very different roles which makes every day so interesting.
My team at L’Oréal are exceptionally talented and they make me feel excited to come to work each day. Every single person I work with on a day-to-day basis has all contributed to my career and development, though they may not even realise it. I truly believe you can’t achieve anything alone, and by having the right people around you can achieve anything.
Shakila Bik’s Smashing Stereotypes 2024 profile was supported by L’Oréal UK and Ireland who are committed to supporting more women in STEM and addressing today’s gender imbalance.