People on the move: Recent notable industry employment shifts
UL Prospector founder Bruce Ianni joins digital customer experience platform Knowde
On May 3, 2023, Knowde released a company press release announcing that twenty-year chemical industry veteran Bruce Ianni has joined the company to assist in leading its marketing strategy. Knowde, a digital customer experience platform company that maintains product data software utilized by over 8,000 of the world’s largest suppliers and manufacturers, including seven of the world’s ten largest chemical companies, seeks to help digitize the chemical industry through the offerings of its platform.
About the employment change, Ianni shared in the release that “I’m joining Knowde at a time when the digital channel is more critical than ever for our industry,” emphasizing the importance of a focused marketing strategy in reaching critical players in the chemical manufacturing and supply chain and the benefits of digitizing these processes.
Fragrance brand Kilian Paris welcomes celebrity makeup artist Sir John as first MakeUp Creative Director
On April 20, 2023, Kilian Paris announced Sir John’s appointment, who is globally recognized for his work and is a former makeup artist to celebrity singer/songwriter Beyoncé.
As detailed on its company website, fragrance brand Kilian Paris was “founded fifteen years ago by Kilian Hennessy, and now has over thirty-four unisex fragrances across five olfactive families.” The brand, which also offers a selection of products including lipsticks, body care options, and home goods, has appointed Sir John to assist Hennessy “with a revamp of the established Le Rouge Parfum scented lipsticks, followed by an arsenal of makeup essentials,” as detailed in the company’s recent press release.
As reported in the release, “Sir John’s makeup artistry will also be featured in brand advertising campaigns, starting with the latest fragrance launch, ‘Can’t stop loving You,’ launched in January 2023.” He will also promote the brand’s presence on social media through a series of “digital behind-the-scenes moments, TikTok makeup tutorial sessions, and Instagram lives.”
Former GF Capital advisor Christina Hull joins Orveon Global as Chief Transformation Officer
On April 17, 2023, beauty brand collective Orveon Global, representing the interests of bareMinerals, Laura Mercier and Buxom, publicized the appointment of former GF Capital advisor Christina Hull as its newest Chief Transformation Officer. Hull, whose career experience includes a position with Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division’s Consumer and Retail Group, will “focus on accelerating organization performance through creation, communication, and execution of strategic initiatives” on the Orveon Executive Committee, as explained in the company’s press release.
Additionally, Hull will partner with Committee members to work on “achieving revenue and EBITDA targets with particular attention to the delivery of Orveon’s value creation plans.” Her years of industry experience will be invaluable in her future contributions to driving Orveon Global’s brand expansion in the coming months.
Global beauty leader Wella Company welcomes consumer industry veteran Jodi Taylor as Board Director and Audit Committee Chair
On March 31, 2023, Wella Company announced it had achieved a 50-50 gender balance on its Board of Directors by appointing Jodi Taylor as Board Director. Wella Company is “one of the fastest growing companies in the beauty industry’s $100 billion hair and nail segment.” It maintains a “portfolio of professional and retail hair, nail, and cutting-edge beauty tech brands, including Wella Professionals, OPI, ghd, Briogeo, Nioxin, Sebastian Professional, and Clairol,” as detailed in its company press release covering the hiring move.
As the former Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of The Container Store, Taylor brings over thirty years of industry experience to her new role as Wella Company Board Director. She shared in the release about her appointment that “these brands have incredible potential and are inherently connected to our culture and history. I am excited to have a hand in shaping their growth.”
Former Estée Lauder Companies Inc. VP of Global Fermentation and Microbiology R&D Steven Schnittger joins biotechnology company Provectus Algae
On March 21, 2023, Provectus Algae announced Steven Schnittger would bring his thirty-seven years of experience at Estée Lauder as its newest Cosmetic Ingredients Advisor. The biotechnology company, which utilizes proprietary technology to program “microalgae to produce valuable biochemicals using natural and synthetic biology approaches,” as shared in its company press release, hopes to capitalize on Schnittger’s extensive career experience to shape its biomanufacturing platform into a critical player in the cosmetics industry.
About the career move, Schnittger shared in the release that “both the personal care and food industries are looking for natural and sustainable based processes for developing new ingredients for incorporation into their formulations,” adding that he is “looking forward to, and excited about, guiding Provectus Algae on this journey.”
