Estée Lauder Cos.
Jane Lauder, granddaughter of the founder of American beauty giant Estée Lauder Companies and the company’s Executive Vice President of Enterprise Marketing and first Chief Data Officer, will step down by the end of the year. She will, however, remain involved in company affairs as a board member.
With Jane Lauder’s departure, the Lauder family will no longer participate in the company’s daily operations. Currently, the family holds 35% of the company’s common shares and about 84% of voting rights.
On August 24, 2023, Leonard A. Lauder, Estée Lauder’s eldest son and a longtime leader of the company, announced his decision to step down from the board of directors at age 90, retaining only the title of Chairman Emeritus.
According to the company’s website, no family members are actively involved in daily management roles. Besides Jane Lauder, the board includes William P. Lauder, Executive Chairman and son of Leonard A. Lauder, who stepped down as CEO in 2009; Gary M. Lauder, a director and Managing Director of the family’s investment firm, Lauder Partners LLC; and Leonard’s brother, Ronald S. Lauder, who also chairs the board of Clinique Laboratories, LLC.
Jane Lauder, a Stanford graduate, has served at Estée Lauder Companies for 28 years. Since officially joining the family business in 1996, she has held leadership roles for the company’s natural skincare brand Origins, premium haircare brand Ojon, and high-end dermocosmetic brand Darphin. In 2006, she was appointed Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for Clinique, joined the company’s board in 2009, and became Global Brand President of Clinique in 2014. She also joined the board of the U.S. ticketing company Eventbrite in 2018.
Under her leadership, Clinique successfully transformed from a niche dermocosmetic brand into a globally recognized skincare brand. To better engage consumers, she facilitated the development of new products and increased consumer interaction. Her efforts doubled Clinique’s online business. Additionally, Jane Lauder played a key role in Estée Lauder Companies’ corporate transformation initiatives, collaborating with her team to gather and analyze data to identify market trends, thereby driving business growth and digital transformation for the company.
Revlon
Revlon has appointed Michelle A. Peluso as CEO, effective November 4, and she will join the board of directors. She succeeds interim CEO Elizabeth Smith, who will continue as Executive Chair of the board.
In her new role, Michelle A. Peluso will succeed interim CEO Elizabeth Smith, who will continue to serve as Executive Chair of the board.
Michelle A. Peluso brings extensive experience in global strategy and operations. Her most recent position was as Chief Customer and Experience Officer at CVS Health, where she oversaw end-to-end consumer experiences across all channels. She has also served as Global Chief Marketing Officer at IBM and Citigroup and was CEO of pioneering e-commerce companies Travelocity and Gilt. Additionally, Michelle Peluso is a board member of U.S. sports giant Nike.
In May 2023, Revlon completed a financial restructuring and emerged from bankruptcy protection as Revlon Group Holdings LLC. The restructured company is primarily owned by former creditors, including Glendon Capital Management LP, King Street Capital Management, L.P., Angelo, Gordon & Co., L.P., Antara Capital LP, Nut Tree Capital Management, LP, Oak Hill Advisors, L.P., and Cyrus Capital Partners, LP, along with their affiliates.
Performance Beauty Group
Performance Beauty Group has appointed JuE Wong as CEO, effective immediately, succeeding Michael Dewey.
In her new role, JuE Wong will focus on enhancing the market presence of the group’s brands across lash, brow, eye, lip, and hair categories. Her leadership will emphasize relevance to end consumers, partnerships, and a technology-driven approach to accelerate growth.
Owned by private equity firm Gauge Capital, Performance Beauty Group’s brand portfolio includes Grande Cosmetics, Bondi Boost, Babe Original, Flutter Habit, Lilly Lashes, Velour, and Nutraluxe.
JuE Wong has a record of scaling established brands and expanding emerging ones. Prior to this role, she was CEO of Olaplex, leading it to a successful IPO in 2021, and held CEO positions at Moroccanoil, StriVectin, Astral Brands, and served as President of Elizabeth Arden. Her prior experience also includes leadership roles at The Dial Corp., Murad Inc., NV Perricone MD Ltd., ZO Skin Health, Cargill Inc., and PepsiCo.
She is currently on the board of directors at FireFly Automatix and The Honey Pot Co.
Creme of Nature/Revlon
Revlon’s natural haircare brand, Creme of Nature®, has named Emmy-winning actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and TV host Keke Palmer as its first Chief Brand Officer.
In this role, Keke Palmer will appear in brand campaigns, serve as spokesperson, collaborate on product development, consult on packaging, and offer product demonstrations. She will help shape the brand’s narrative and campaigns that authentically resonate with multicultural communities, revitalizing the spirit of Creme of Nature.
Founded in 1976 in Chicago’s South Side, Creme of Nature® is a Black-founded and Black-led brand offering a range of haircare, styling, and coloring products designed for curly, coily, and wavy hair types.
| Source: Head Topics, ESSENCE, official press releases
| Image Credit: Official press releases, brand websites
| Editor: LeZhi
