Coty
International fragrance and beauty group Coty has appointed five new independent directors to its Board:
- Carsten Fischer brings decades of global management experience in the beauty and consumer goods industries. Most recently, he served as President of Rea.deeming Beauty, owner of the Beautyblender brand. He previously held the position of Representative Director and Group Senior Executive Officer at Shiseido. Earlier in his career, he worked at Procter & Gamble, Seiko Holdings, and Kate Spade & Company. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Hamburg University of Economics and Politics.
- Alia Gogi is a senior beauty retail executive with deep expertise in omnichannel strategy and international expansion across Asian markets. She previously served as President of Sephora Asia, and during her tenure also held roles as Managing Director for Southeast Asia, as well as Senior Vice President of Merchandising for Greater China and the Asia Pacific region. Before joining Sephora, she held senior commercial positions at A.S. Watson Group. She began her career at Nestlé and J Sainsbury in brand and category management and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Management from King’s College London.
- Robert Kunze-Concewitz has extensive experience in the consumer goods sector, having led Campari Group for 17 years as Chief Executive Officer. Earlier in his career, he held several senior marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, including positions within the premium beauty division. He currently serves on the boards of several international companies, including Carlsberg and Imperial Brands. He holds an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hamilton College.
- Maria Carla Liuni is currently Chief Brand Officer at Ferrari, where she oversees the company’s global brand strategy and lifestyle business. She previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Pandora and held senior management roles at BVLGARI, part of LVMH Group. Earlier in her career, she spent more than 16 years in the premium beauty division at Procter & Gamble. She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from LUISS University in Rome.
- Stephanie Plaines is a seasoned finance executive with more than 30 years of experience across publicly listed companies in consumer goods, retail, and real estate. Most recently, she served as Global Chief Financial Officer at Jones Lang LaSalle. She previously held leadership roles at Starbucks’ U.S. retail division, Walmart’s Sam’s Club e-commerce business, Ahold Delhaize, and JC Penney. She currently serves as a non-executive director at The Clorox Company and has also been a director at Nielsen and KKR-acquired portfolio companies. She holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Florida.
Among the new appointments, Robert Kunze-Concewitz will serve as Chair of the Board’s Compensation Committee, Stephanie Plaines will serve as Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, and Carsten Fischer has been appointed Lead Independent Director.
Coty noted that the newly appointed directors collectively bring decades of experience in premium beauty, luxury, and global consumer brands, with deep expertise spanning fragrance, colour cosmetics, global brand building, digital commerce, financial management, and large-scale corporate transformation.
Markus Strobel, Chairman of the Board and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Coty, stated, “This Board refresh marks a milestone in our strategic upgrade journey. We are honoured to welcome this outstanding group of industry leaders, who have served at some of the world’s most respected beauty, luxury, and consumer companies. At a time of rapid transformation in both the beauty market and Coty itself, our new directors bring not only proven expertise across premium fragrance, global brand building, portfolio transformation, and financial stewardship, but also valuable fresh perspectives. Together with our existing Board members, they will further sharpen our strategic focus, strengthen execution, and drive sustainable value creation for shareholders.”
Current directors Markus Strobel, Joachim Creus, Frank Engelen, and Patricia Capel will remain on the Board. Following his appointment as President of Coty’s Consumer Beauty division, Gordon von Bretten has decided to step down from the Board.
Beatrice Ballini, Isabelle Parize, and Anna Adeola Makanju have resigned from the Board with immediate effect. Robert “Bob” Singer will step down as a director effective June 30, 2026; until then, he will continue to serve as a member of the Audit and Finance Committee.
Glossier
U.S. digital-native beauty brand Glossier has appointed Nicole Solorzano as its new Chief Marketing Officer.
In her new role, Nicole Solorzano will oversee product marketing, content creation, and community engagement, while leading the brand’s global strategy during its next phase of brand evolution.
Most recently, Nicole Solorzano served as Vice President of Marketing at haircare brand Ouai. She previously held senior leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company and Forever 21.
Supergoop!
U.S. suncare brand Supergoop! has appointed Alana Kwarta as its first Chief Human Resources Officer.
In her new role, Alana Kwarta will collaborate with the executive leadership team to lead organisational design, build scalable operating systems, and drive company-wide transformation initiatives.
Alana Kwarta brings more than 20 years of human resources experience at brands including L’Oréal and Chanel Beauty. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for L’Oréal USA’s Skincare Division, where she led talent strategy for multiple international brands including CeraVe and La Roche-Posay.
Melis del Rey, Chief Executive Officer of Supergoop!, stated that Alana Kwarta’s extensive experience in building high-performance organisations, shaping leadership teams, and steering corporate transformation will establish a strong structural and operational foundation for the brand’s next stage of growth.
Makeup by Mario
Makeup by Mario, the eponymous beauty brand founded by celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, has appointed Melissa Sperau as Global President.
In her new role, Melissa Sperau will report directly to Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mario Dedivanovic.
Most recently, Melissa Sperau served as President of Shiseido Americas, where she oversaw operations for brands including NARS, Clé de Peau Beauté, and Shiseido’s namesake skincare and makeup lines. She previously spent 19 years at MAC Cosmetics.
Founded in 2020 by renowned celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, Makeup by Mario offers product lines across eyeshadow, complexion, and lip categories, which have been well received by consumers. The brand distributes its products through a direct-to-consumer model and via retail partner Sephora.
| Source: Official press releases, FashionNetwork, The Industry Beauty
| Image Credit: Personal social media accounts
| Editor: LuxeCO
