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Dive Brief:
Ulta Beauty’s C-suite transformation continued Thursday with the appointment of Lauren Brindley as chief merchandising and digital officer. Brindley, who joins June 3, replaces current merchandising chief Monica Arnaudo, who is retiring that month.
Brindley was most recently the CEO of Revolution Beauty and has also held leadership roles at Walgreens and Boots UK, according to a company press release. All told, she has more than two decades of experience.
At Ulta, Brindley will lead merchandising, e-commerce, wellness, brand building and the retailer’s recently announced marketplace, which will launch later this year. Arnaudo, who has worked at Ulta since 2017, announced she would retire from her role last year.
Dive Insight:
Starting with the surprise takeover of Kecia Steelman as CEO in January, Ulta has been on a swift journey to replace and restructure its C-suite.
Indeed, during Steelman’s first quarter at the helm, the executive named a new chief marketer, promoted Amiee Bayer-Thomas to chief retail officer, changed Mike Maresca’s role to chief technology and transformation officer, and announced that the chief merchant would now hold digital responsibilities as well.
In a statement on Brindley’s appointment, Steelman thanked Arnaudo for her role in shaping the retailer’s “world-class assortment and category innovation,” but expressed confidence that Brindley is “the right person to fuel our continued success.”
Lauren Brindley was most recently the CEO of Revolution Beauty and has also held leadership roles at Walgreens and Boots UK.
Courtesy of Ulta Beauty
“Providing our guests with the best beauty and wellness assortment while building strong, strategic partnerships with our brands is critical to Ulta Beauty’s future growth,” Steelman said. “[Brindley] is a proven, strategic leader with deep industry expertise, a global perspective, and a passion for beauty that aligns with our vision for the future.”
Brindley will be responsible for one of Ulta’s newest initiatives, a marketplace that is set to capture the “thousands” of brands that want to work with Ulta outside of its existing assortment. When Ulta announced the initiative last month, Steelman noted that the marketplace will be tied into Ulta’s loyalty program as well, with shoppers able to earn rewards points for marketplace purchases and make marketplace returns in stores.
The move comes as Ulta has hit pause on its Target expansion efforts, with Steelman noting that the two are working to improve the current 600 or so shop-in-shops before continuing. The executive also vowed to go “back to the basics” on Ulta’s own store fleet, including improving staffing and cleanliness levels.
Ulta’s growth, usually a standout in the retail space, slowed meaningfully last year, leading the retailer to cut its guidance twice in consecutive quarters and forecast net sales for 2025 that are just $300 million higher than the previous year, which in turn was essentially flat to 2023.