NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) announced global leadership updates for the following brands: Aveda, Bobbi Brown, La Mer and Bumble and bumble. These brands are part of the portfolio led by Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Group President. The following changes are effective July 1, 2017:
- Dominique Conseil, Global Brand President, Aveda, has announced plans to retire. Succeeding Mr. Conseil is Barbara De Laere, who has been appointed Senior Vice President, Global General Manager, Aveda. Ms. De Laere will report to Jane Hertzmark Hudis, and she will join the Executive Leadership Team.
- Peter Lichtenthal, Global Brand President, Bobbi Brown and Bumble and bumble, has announced plans to retire in January 2018. In addition to ensuring a smooth transition of his brands, he will also support Jane Hertzmark Hudis on special assignments until his eventual retirement. Succeeding Mr. Lichtenthal at Bumble and bumble is Zach Rieken who will continue as Senior Vice President, Global General Manager, Bumble and bumble. Mr. Rieken will report to Jane Hertzmark Hudis.
- Sandra Main will add Bobbi Brown to her portfolio as Global Brand President, Bobbi Brown and La Mer. She will continue to report to Jane Hertzmark Hudis.
- Justin Boxford has been appointed Senior Vice President, Global General Manager, La Mer, reporting to Sandra Main. He will also join the Executive Leadership Team.
“Dominique’s and Peter’s excellent leadership has helped shape some of our most beloved prestige beauty brands. As we honor their amazing careers, I’m also proud of the strong foundation they’ve built for their successors to achieve the next wave of growth,” said Jane Hertzmark Hudis. “We’ve always been a company of brand-builders and the home for the best industry talent. Barbara, Sandra and Justin each have highly unique business expertise and leadership skills that will further accelerate their brands’ growth potential in today’s dynamic prestige beauty landscape.”
“Today’s announcement reflects the Company’s thoughtful succession planning philosophy,” said Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are focused on leveraging the diverse strengths, experiences and perspectives of our leaders to further grow our brands and our business. The success of our people is a cornerstone of our long-term strategy.”
Dominique Conseil, Global Brand President, Aveda, to retire
After a successful career spanning more than 25 years in the beauty industry, Dominique Conseil, Global Brand President, Aveda, has announced plans to retire. Mr. Conseil joined the Company in 2000 and was the first executive to assume the role of Global Brand President, Aveda. At the helm of Aveda, Mr. Conseil championed the brand’s strong values and longstanding commitment to socio-environmental responsibility, and led the brand to achieve significant global growth. Under Mr. Conseil, Aveda became an industry leader in the development of environmentally responsible packaging, and was the first beauty company to achieve carbon balance in its in-house manufacturing, headquarters and retail operations. During his tenure, Aveda also launched some of its bestselling product lines including Damage Remedy, Smooth Infusion and Invati Solutions for Thinning Hair. Adopting an international mindset, Mr. Conseil helped Aveda expand its presence globally and was instrumental in launching the brand and its core mission into multiple leading hair care markets including Japan, France, and the Middle East. The introduction of Aveda in Japan helped revolutionize the professional salon industry in the market and inspired Aveda’s evolution into a high performance botanical hair brand. Today, with its strong mission at the center of the brand, Aveda has a presence in more than 30 countries globally.
Barbara De Laere appointed Senior Vice President, Global General Manager, Aveda
Barbara De Laere joined the Company in 2016 as Senior Vice President/General Manager, North America, Aveda, with oversight for the brand’s go-to-market business, digital marketing and retail channel evolution. Ms. De Laere is a disruptive strategic leader who will continue to leverage her expertise in the hair care category, and her strong proficiencies in digital, social and channel mix, to further enhance the reach and impact of Aveda globally. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. De Laere developed her deep hair care and skin care category expertise at L’Oréal, where she held senior international leadership roles in the Professional Products Division for more than 15 years. During that time, her responsibilities included driving revenue growth, brand building and portfolio integration for multiple brands across the U.S., Western Europe and Asia/Pacific. Ms. De Laere’s outstanding category knowledge, professional salon channel expertise and global leadership experience make her uniquely suited to lead Aveda into its next phase of growth. A successor for her current role will be announced at a later date.
Peter Lichtenthal, Global Brand President, Bobbi Brown and Bumble and bumble, announces plans to retire
After a distinguished career leading some of prestige beauty’s most celebrated brands for nearly 30 years, Peter Lichtenthal has announced his decision to retire in January 2018. While ensuring a smooth transition of Bobbi Brown and Bumble and bumble, he will also support special assignments for Jane Hertzmark Hudis. Mr. Lichtenthal’s career has touched every category with numerous leadership roles across the Company’s brand portfolio, including as Global Brand President, Bumble and bumble, where he reinvigorated its professional salon channel and expanded the brand into new high-growth channels, such as Sephora, to drive sales and cultivate brand appeal. In 2015 Mr. Lichtenthal’s responsibilities were expanded to include Bobbi Brown, where he oversaw key product launches such as Luxe Lipstick and Skin Foundation. Mr. Lichtenthal joined the Company in 1989 and has held senior leadership roles for Estée Lauder, M·A·C and Smashbox. While at Estée Lauder, he played a key role in some of the brand’s most significant product launches including the iconic fragrance pleasures. In addition, Mr. Lichtenthal has been a driving force to enrich the culture of his brands and the enterprise, most recently acting as co-sponsor of the Company’s LGBTQA employee resource group.
Sandra Main, Global Brand President, La Mer, to expand brand leadership with Bobbi Brown
Sandra Main’s impressive career trajectory has helped fuel the outstanding success of some of the Company’s most coveted brands since she joined the Company more than 20 years ago. Since Ms. Main took the helm of La Mer in 2009, the brand has experienced significant global growth and tripled net sales to become one of the most successful luxury skin care brands in the world. Ms. Main’s remarkable leadership capabilities, consumer marketing acumen, commercial expertise and executional excellence have been integral in La Mer’s evolution from one iconic product into a must-have luxury skin care brand sought after by consumers and tastemakers globally. She possesses exceptional knowledge of the Asian consumer, and has accelerated La Mer’s presence in key luxury skin care markets in Asia/Pacific and across the travel corridors of Asian consumers. Additionally, leveraging her significant multi-category experience, Ms. Main led the launch of Skincolor de La Mer, the brand’s first foray into makeup, accelerating the brand’s growth and expanding it into new categories. In addition to strengthening La Mer’s innovation funnel and attracting new consumers with a diversified skin care portfolio, Ms. Main’s visionary approach to consumer engagement has fueled the brand’s leadership in the social/digital luxury space. Previously, Ms. Main led Bobbi Brown’s international business and global education for three years, gaining experience that will further support her leadership of the brand. Ms. Main’s unparalleled leadership skills and consumer marketing expertise make her ideally suited to drive Bobbi Brown to achieve its next chapter of growth.
Justin Boxford appointed Senior Vice President, Global General Manager, La Mer
Since joining the Company in 2004, Justin Boxford has held positions in luxury beauty brands around the world and across multiple channels, most recently as Senior Vice President/General Manager, International, Estée Lauder and TOM FORD BEAUTY. Mr. Boxford has been a driving force to advance the Estée Lauder brand’s digital and omnichannel strategies internationally, helping Estée Lauder achieve its position as the top skin care brand in the world. Contributing to this success is his strong leadership in local relevance which strengthened Estée Lauder’s appeal with Chinese consumers in their home market, travel retail and in key markets around the globe. Additionally, Mr. Boxford’s leadership was instrumental in the successful launch of TOM FORD BEAUTY internationally and delivering sustained growth outside the U.S. Prior to his current role, Mr. Boxford led Estée Lauder and TOM FORD BEAUTY in Asia/Pacific. One of his most significant achievements included the expansion of TOM FORD BEAUTY across Asia/Pacific, as well as its successful launch in China. Previously, Mr. Boxford served as Vice President, Estée Lauder, Travel Retail, and is credited with significantly growing sales ahead of other prestige beauty brands in the channel. In taking on this new role, Mr. Boxford will draw upon his extensive luxury beauty experience in skin care and makeup to further drive the brand’s global success. A successor for his current role will be announced at a later date.
About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The Company’s products are sold in over 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Lab Series, Origins, Tommy Hilfiger, M·A·C, Kiton, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Donna Karan New York, DKNY, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Michael Kors, Darphin, Tom Ford, Smashbox, Ermenegildo Zegna, AERIN, Marni, Tory Burch, RODIN olio lusso, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, By Kilian, BECCA and Too Faced.