Beauty Industry Leadership Shifts in August
August 2026 saw major executive changes at Oriflame, LVMH Beauty, Coty, and John Lewis, alongside founder exits and new brand ambassadors including Aryna
August 2026 brought a wave of executive appointments and departures across the beauty and retail sectors. According to a report from TheIndustry.beauty, the changes included new CEOs, CFOs, and the creation of a Chief Operating Officer role at a major beauty conglomerate.
Oriflame named Kenneth Benaim Campbell as its new Chief Executive Officer. He takes over from Anna Malmhake and brings more than 30 years of experience, including 27 years at L'Oréal. Chairman Robert Bensoussan called him an exceptional leader with deep beauty industry expertise.
LVMH Beauty created a new Chief Operating Officer position for Alexandre Oulès. He will oversee production, logistics, and procurement. Oulès was previously the COO of Balenciaga and has held senior roles at Guerlain and Moët Hennessy.
Financial Leadership Changes
Coty appointed Soraya Benchikh as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective 1 September. She replaces Laurent Mercier. Benchikh is a former executive from British American Tobacco and Diageo. Executive Chairman Markus Strobel stated she is the right leader for the company's next phase. This news accompanied the group's fourth-quarter results.
The financial results showed revenue of $1.27 billion, which was ahead of forecasts. The group's net loss, however, more than doubled to $144.3 million. Tariffs, lower volumes, and excess inventory were cited as factors hurting profitability.
Retail and Brand Moves
Peter Ruis is stepping down as Managing Director of John Lewis. Will Kernan, a Partnership board member, will take over in mid-September. Ruis oversaw the restoration of the Never Knowingly Undersold promise and a digital upgrade. His departure comes as John Lewis invests £50 million across five stores as part of an £800 million transformation programme.
Nicolas Travis, founder and CEO of Allies of Skin, will leave the company on 10 February 2027. Beauty executive Alicia Valencia joins as interim President. Valencia was previously the Global President of Makeup by Mario and spent 20 years at The Estée Lauder Companies.
Anna Marcovici is leaving her role as General Manager for EMEA at Westman Atelier. She will focus on scaling her supplements business, Manifesto Nutrition. Marcovici confirmed the news on LinkedIn, calling her time at the brand the highlight of her career.
New Appointments and Ambassadors
Omorovicza hired Emma Bates as Chief Financial & Operating Officer. Bates previously held the same role at S'able Labs and was COO at Crabtree & Evelyn. Her appointment follows the hiring of Pauline Singh as Chief Marketing Officer in March 2026.
Makeup artist Mary Phillips's brand, m.ph beauty, appointed Kira Jackson as its first Chief Marketing Officer. Jackson was most recently Chief Brand Officer at activewear label SET Active.
Moroccanoil signed world No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka as its new Global Brand Ambassador. The four-time Grand Slam champion will headline global campaigns. Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Marina Kirschner said partnering with Sabalenka felt like the perfect next match.
Kate Winslet renewed her partnership with Oslo Skin Lab. She remains the worldwide face of its flagship supplement, The Solution Beauty Collagen. The actress wrote her own scripts for a new international campaign. Founder Cecilie Nordstrøm described the extension as an endorsement of the brand's inside-out approach to beauty.
