Dive Brief:
- DTC beauty brand Beautycounter has announced the return of founder Gregg Renfrew as CEO, effective Feb. 1, per a company press release.
- Interim Beautycounter CEO Mindy Mackenzie will relinquish her post but remain a member of the brand’s board of directors.
- Following the acquisition of parent company Counter Brands by private equity firm The Carlyle Group in 2021, Renfrew stepped down from the brand’s CEO role in February 2022 and became executive chair and chief brand officer.
Dive Insight:
Beautycounter went through a number of executive changes as it sought to expand its market share. In 2022, Renfrew was succeeded as CEO by Marc Rey, former CEO and global chief growth officer at Shiseido Americas. Rey stepped down in May of last year at which time Mackenzie was named to the interim post and the board began a search to find a permanent CEO.
A number of DTC brands in recent years have brought on new chief executives as a way to infuse companies with fresh ideas and to drive growth. Casper, Glossier and Grove Collaborative have all seen their founders exit the chief executive post in recent years. Other brands, such as Bark and now Beautycounter, have then brought their founders back as CEO.
“We are thrilled to welcome back Gregg to lead Beautycounter in this important next phase of growth,” board chair Roberto Marques said in a statement. “Gregg, as the founder and inspiration of Beautycounter's mission, also has a proven track record at the company for driving results and engaging both advocates and associates who work alongside her to make meaningful change.”
Under Renfrew’s leadership, Beautycounter created its list of more than 2,800 questionable or harmful ingredients not used in the company's product formulations. The company sells its skin care and makeup products on its own site, at mass merchant Ulta Beauty, at retail stores in Denver and New York, and through its network of brand advocates.
“I am looking forward to getting back to working with the team,” said Renfrew in a statement. “It's not going to just be business as usual, and I'm looking forward to raising the bar even higher for our company and the industry at large.”
