With more than 20 years industry experience, Sarah Lynn knows a thing or two about beauty.
The seasoned executive is currently serving as Managing Director of Kering Beauté UK and Ireland – the UK and Ireland segment of the French luxury group which netted €323m in revenue 2024.
Kering Beauté created its beauty division in 2023 to develop the beauty arms of its Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Pomellato and Qeelin houses, and then acquired luxury fragrance house Creed in June that year.
The luxury goods group created the division to support the mentioned brands in developing within the beauty category, said to be ‘a natural extension of their universe’.
Below, Lynn charts her career journey and shares the essential skills a cosmetics industry professional needs to posess to make it to the top of a company like Kering Beauté.
She also reveals the business lessons she has learned throughout her career, having held leadership positions at several beauty giants, including VP of the Retail Channel at Estée Lauder Companies and Brand General Manager at Too Faced Cosmetics.
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Tell us about your first job in beauty
My first job in the industry was as a Counter Manager for a brand and it was just me and one part-timer.
We loved the preparation for the ‘bonus time’ and seeing how this supported us to excel and stretch our targets.
I loved the ability to sit customers down to either have a consultation, makeover or skin analysis.
And, as a team, we were always excited when we had new launches or were invited to regional or national training.
What was a lesson you learned early in your career?
To demonstrate integrity, treat people with respect, communicate well, and share gratitude and praise for a great performance.
This influences people to work hard and feel really trusted and motivated in their roles.
Is there someone who has helped you climb the ladder or provided some key advice?
There were many – various managers I was very fortunate to work with or for.
Cheryl Joannides Godfrey, the previous VP of JML UK&I, told me: “You are never fully ready for the next step or promotion. If you are, then you should have been in the role before.”
Sarah Lynn, Managing Director of Kering Beauté UK and Ireland
What is the best thing about your current job?
No one day is the same. I love the ambiguity of the role, and the need to change and amend plans to meet the needs of the brand, business and team.
This could be due to a shift in trends, new opportunities and also unforeseen changes in the market.
What core skills do you need to be a leader today?
You have to be a great listener and truly take the time to listen to both consumers and team members (at all levels) to understand the market changes, new ideas and different ways of thinking.
The best ideas come from all levels and also from other industries.
This particular skill has really supported me to keep learning and to continue to widen my knowledge and skillset.
What do you look for when hiring a team?
I look for people with a positive and supportive attitude, as well as great integrity, self-awareness and commitment.
They also need to have the right transferable skills and a willingness to learn.
Creed's popular Aventus fragrance
What is your proudest moment to date at the brand?
The team and I executed a really strong launch plan to increase brand awareness for Creed’s two new feminine fragrances – floral amber, woody and musk perfume Carmina in September 2024, and floral amber, white flowers and fruity scent Queen of Silk in May 2024.
Both were deliberately launched in a disruptive way, with a strong sensorial experiential event and impressive CGI (computer-generated imagery) that achieved record-breaking number of impressions and likes.
Both of these also achieved top ten positions in total women’s fragrances and have been monumental in the brand, increasing our overall ranking in women’s fragrances.
What tips do you have for anyone starting out?
Be the very best you can be and do not be frightened to try new things. If it does not work, then learn from it.
Tell me something about your job that might be unexpected
We still source and create our fragrances within our own factory in France, which is so special – this is very rare in the industry today.
