Candace S. Matthews
President
Soft Sheen-Carson
Candace S. Matthews was appointed President of Soft Sheen-Carson, Consumer Products Division of L'OREAL USA, in November 2001. A graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University, Ms. Matthews obtained a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering and Administrative & Management Science, as well as an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Previous to her current position, Ms. Matthews served as vice president, new product and package innovation, and as managing director, non-cola brands with the Coca-Cola Company. Before joining Coca-Cola, Ms. Matthews held senior marketing roles at the CIBA Vision Corporation; Bausch & Lomb, Oral Care Division; Proctor & Gamble, cosmetics and fragrance division; and General Mills, where she began her marketing career.
Ms. Matthews' currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Carnegie Mellon University, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Cosmetic Executive Women, and Figure Skating in Harlem. She was selected as one of the 2006 Ebony Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications Award. She received the 2005 Advertising Working Mother of the Year Award, the HELP USA Leadership Award, the 2005 United Cerebral Palsy Women Who Care Award, Operation Push 2004 Business Woman of the Year Award, the Women of Color iBusiness Person of the Year Award, and the Carnegie Mellon 2003 Alumni Merit Award.
Her involvement in the African-American community includes spearheading the L'OREAL/Soft Sheen-Carson Scholarship Program and the Diva Duds Charity Clothing Drive. Ms. Matthews has also been featured in major publications, such as Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, Glamour, Salon Sense, and the Wall Street Journal.
A native of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, and the youngest of 18 children, Ms. Matthews currently resides in Weston, Connecticut, with her husband Bruce and their twin daughters and foster child.
