"On this episode of Fortune's Leadership Next podcast, cohosts Diane Brady, executive editorial director of the Fortune CEO Initiative and Fortune Live Media, and editorial director Kristin Stoller talk with Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman. They discuss Steelman's journey from team lead at Target to the C-suite; how Gen Z and social media have upended the beauty business; and what beauty trends are on the rise. Listen to the episode or read the transcript below. Transcript: Kecia Steelman: I often say I have a PhD in life. I was poor, hungry, and determined."
"Brady: I love her past. She's from a very modest background, and she literally worked her way up from the shop floor, in essence, at Target, to where she is today, which I think gives her a real down-to-earth kind of appeal. She was a mother at a very young age. It felt like we were getting somebody who truly represents mainstream America, which-this is a mainstream-America brand."
Kecia Steelman built a retail career from a Target team lead to Ulta Beauty's CEO, moving from COO into the top role ten months earlier. Her background includes growing up poor, becoming a young mother, and overcoming career setbacks while embracing a resilient motto: "It's better, not bitter." She projects a down-to-earth, mainstream-America appeal that aligns with Ulta's customer base. She emphasizes the profound impact of Gen Z and social media on the beauty industry and focuses on responding to shifting consumer behaviors and emerging beauty trends to keep the company relevant.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]