From Rapid Rise to Strategic Scale: Navigating the Next Frontier for a High-Growth Beauty Brand

The Client

Our client is a privately owned beauty brand reshaping the beauty and wellness landscape through science-backed, proprietary formulations. With a mission to educate consumers about the importance of scalp health, the company has built a loyal following by leveraging innovations developed by its internal team of scientists. In less than two years, the brand grew to $40M in revenue—a rapid rise fueled by differentiated product offerings and strong consumer engagement.

The Challenge

To sustain that momentum and chart a path to $100M+ in revenue, the company needed a seasoned interim CEO who could guide the business through its next phase of growth. The ideal leader would need to balance ambitious expansion with brand integrity and operational discipline.

Key qualifications included:

• Proven P&L ownership, ideally at the CEO or GM level
• Deep expertise in the beauty industry
• Strong product marketing skills, with a focus on influencer and celebrity partnerships
• Experience scaling brands across both retail and D2C channels
• Established relationships with top retailers such as Sephora, Ulta, and Target

This interim CEO role was designed with the option to transition into a permanent position for the right candidate.]

Our Approach

We conducted a targeted search focused on growth-minded executives who had successfully scaled beauty brands to $100M+ in valuation. Our criteria emphasized brand-building expertise, operational leadership, and strong retail and channel partnership experience. The search prioritized candidates capable of driving both topline growth and margin expansion.

The Placement

We placed a veteran beauty executive with over 25 years of experience leading brands including Peace Out Skincare, Shiseido, MakeUp Forever, and LVMH. She brought:

• A proven track record of scaling beauty businesses (e.g., Peace Out Skincare from $5M to $70M)
• Extensive P&L ownership across multiple brand portfolios
• Deep relationships with major retailers such as Sephora, Ulta, Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Target
• A strong blend of retail and D2C growth strategy execution
• Expertise in driving influencer and celebrity-led marketing campaigns

The Outcome

Since her placement, the interim CEO has delivered measurable impact:

• Launched a new product that exceeded expectations, selling over 86K units in its first day
• Secured placement in Ulta Beauty at Target, expanding the brand’s retail presence
• Grew the salon channel by enrolling over 700 hairstylists into the brand’s Scalp Specialist program to support education and product adoption
  

The company remains on track to achieve $100M in revenue by 2025. With strong leadership and a clear growth strategy in place, the brand is well-positioned to reach its next major milestone.