Recent CEO Appointments at WWP, Unilever, L’Oréal and More

The past year has been a challenging one for the world, faced with complications ranging from the lingering pandemic, to soaring inflation and supply chain woes, the volatile situation in Ukraine, regional energy shortages and more.
 
On the upside, the beauty industry experienced some recovery in 2022 as brick-and-mortar and travel retail stores re-opened, mask mandates were lifted, salons were back in business, and pent-up demand for items including makeup and lipstick, triggered a welcome uptick in consumers’ cosmetic spending. (Learn more about how the beauty industry navigated the past year in BP’s Top 20 Global Companies report.)
 
To meet the challenges of a constantly evolving world, beauty companies across the industry are adopting new strategies and initiatives—and as a result, the industry witnessed many significant leadership changes in 2022 as companies pursued growth.
 
The following are the most significant CEO appointments of the past year:

WWP Appoints Jennifer Adams as CEO

In April, WWP Beauty, a full-service supplier to the global beauty industry, announced the appointment of Jennifer Adams as its new chief executive officer.
 
Adams joined WWP Beauty in 2020 as the company’s chief financial officer, and “has demonstrated outstanding leadership, and strategic achievements, and accelerated WWP Beauty’s growth trajectory to strengthen the company’s global financial structures,” according to the company.
 
In her new role, she will be leading key initiatives to drive growth and expansion in line with the company’s new and evolving business model to become a truly global, full-service supplier with local support. In addition, Adams will strengthen the company’s leadership in sustainable solutions, helping brands to build “Beauty with Purpose.”

Glossier Appoints Kyle Leahy as CEO

In May, Glossier founder and CEO Emily Weiss announced that she will be stepping down from her current role at Glossier. Kyle Leahy, who joined Glossier as its first chief commercial officer in 2021, will step up and succeed Weiss as CEO of the company, effective immediately.
 
Meanwhile, Weiss will step into the role of executive chairwoman, working closely with Leahy and the company’s board on stewarding Glossier into 2025, 2030 and beyond.

Martin Brok Departs from Sephora

Ex-Starbuck’s Corp. president, Martin Brok, who was named president and chief executive officer of Sephora in September 2020, left the beauty retailer at the end of June after almost two years.
 
According to an internal release obtained by WWD, Brok’s departure was “due to a divergence of views.”
 
Chris de Lapuente, the chairman and CEO of the selective retailing division of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, who also oversees the group’s Perfumes and Cosmetics activities, resumed the position of president and CEO of Sephora.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Welcomes Katia Beauchamp as CEO

In August, Victoria Beckham Beauty tapped former Birchbox cofounder and CEO, Katia Beauchamp, as its CEO.
 
Victoria Beckham Beauty's previous CEO, Sarah Creal, left the brand earlier this year.
 
Nance Hastings also joined Victoria Beckham Beauty as president from Alpyn Beauty, where she held the same title. Prior to that, she spent more than 25 years at the Estée Lauder Companies.

Piyush Jain Appointed CEO at Maesa

In September, Piyush Jain was appointed as CEO of Maesa. In his most recent role at Unilever, Jain served as global brand vice president for Beauty and Personal Care. He previously ran the North America hair brand portfolio.
 
Jain succeeds Gianni Pieraccioni, who stepped down from the business for personal reasons.

Quadpack Appoints Alexandra Chauvigné as CEO

In September, global beauty packaging manufacturer and provider Quadpack appointed Alexandra Chauvigné as its new chief executive officer. She succeeds co-founder Tim Eaves, who will remain as chairman of Quadpack’s board of directors.
 
Chauvigné brings over 25 years of leadership experience and a strong track record in the packaging industry. She was previously general manager for Consumer Packaging, a business unit of DS Smith, a global supplier of sustainable cardboard solutions. Prior to this, she held various executive positions within Aptar.

ModiFace Appoints Jeff Houghton as CEO

ModfiFace, the Toronto-based Augmented Reality (AR) beauty leader, acquired by L'Oréal in 2018, appointed Jeff Houghton as its new Chief Executive Officer in September.
 
Houghton has been ModiFace's Chief Operating Officer since 2019 after joining Modiface in 2016.

Unilever CEO to Retire in 2023

In September, Unilever CEO Alan Jope announced plans to retire from the company at the end of 2023, after five years in the role.
 
The Board will proceed with a formal search for a successor and will consider both internal and external candidates.

Chantecaille Beaute Taps Former L’Oréal Exec as CEO

In October, prestige beauty brand Chantecaille Beaute Inc., which was recently acquired by the Beiersdorf Group, appointed Emily Coleman as its new chief executive officer, succeeding founder Sylvie Chantecaille.
 
Coleman joins Chantecaille after 20 years at L’Oréal, where she gained experience in a wide range of areas, including Digital & Marketing, Travel Retail & Retail Operations, as well as Supply Chain.

Curology Names Heather Wallace as CEO

Earlier this month, Curology appointed Heather Wallace as its new Chief Executive Officer. Dr. David Lortscher has been CEO since he co-founded the company in 2012—and now will step into a new role as Executive Chair of the Board.
 
Wallace previously served as President of the Americas at Revlon, where she turned around Revlon Cosmetics in the U.S. to deliver market share growth and improved profitability with a focus on digitalization.