Dive Brief:
- After a 12-month search, skin care services brand Heyday on Tuesday announced it has named Andy Taylor as its new CEO, replacing co-founder Adam Ross.
- Taylor joins the company from Levain, where he served as CEO and oversaw product, shop and brand expansion, according to a press release emailed to Retail Dive. He also comes with experience from tech-driven startup Ando, Hale and Hearty Soups, and Pret a Manger.
- Co-founders Ross and Michael Pollak will remain with the company as board members and work with Taylor to generate product development and retail growth.
Dive Insight:
Heyday credits the incoming CEO for having a history of building profitable and sustainable businesses through different markets. Taylor will work with executive management, the board and the brand’s community to develop a strategy to drive retail and franchise development.
“Andy is the perfect leader to take Heyday to the next level. He is incredibly focused on culture and people, genuinely passionate about self-care, and fully understands the brand’s north star that Heyday [equals] skin care,” Ross said in a statement. “Due to his strong retail background and ability to drive operational excellence, we’re confident and excited to watch Andy manage and accelerate Heyday’s growth, as well as manage all complexities and challenges that inherently will come with that development.”
Since Heyday’s inception in 2015, the brand has opened over 10 owned and operated shop locations across New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. And 2023 will be a year of expansion for the brand: This year the company will open over 20 additional locations, with a total of 135 committed franchise units slated to open in markets like Denver, Boston, Phoenix and Austin, Texas.
Taylor joins Heyday with retail expansion experience. At Levain, he helped grow the company from just three locations in New York to a national brand with 13 locations in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The appointment also marks another co-founder stepping aside as CEO of a startup to usher in fresh leadership. Following its acquisition by private equity firm Durational Capital Management in 2021, Casper co-founder Philip Krim stepped down from the CEO post. Last year, Glossier’s founder Emily Weiss exited the CEO role. And earlier this month, Vegamour’s founder Daniel Hodgdon stepped down from the chief executive spot. As smaller brands enter the next phase of growth, many are seeking out leaders with extensive leadership experience to help scale the businesses.
