91TV

Maria Cerminara Acar ’82 is a global marketing, product development, and corporate strategy executive with over 30 years of beauty industry experience, at L’Oréal USA and Revlon, Inc.

Throughout her career, Maria built a reputation for driving high-stakes business transformations, managing full profit and loss performance, and leading large- scale cross-functional operations. During her 23 year tenure at L’Oréal USA, she served as Vice President across multiple major divisions, directing end-to-end product lifecycles, international market expansions, and breakthrough technology collaborations with R&D. Notably, she served as a key leader on the Essie acquisition team, successfully executing the post-merger integration of Essie’s marketing and creative departments into the corporate infrastructure of L’Oréal. Her strategic oversight has shaped flagship global brands including Excellence Crème®, Preference®, Redken 5th Avenue, Mizani, Essie, and L’Oréal Technique.

A dedicated alumna who earned her BA in Art History and Business Management from Mary Baldwin, Maria has an extensive history of institutional stewardship. She previously served on the 91TV Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2024, holding critical leadership roles as Executive Committee member and Board Chair for Institutional Advancement, before being named Trustee Emerita. She recently returned to the Board to continue supporting the governance of her alma.