Revolution Beauty’s CEO Lauren Brindley is exiting the fast beauty brand after a year-and–a-half in the role.
Brindley will step down from the position and the company’s board on 31 May, and is moving to Ulta Beauty to serve as Chief Merchandising and Digital Officer.
At Ulta Beauty, she will oversee the US beauty retailer’s merchandising, e-commerce, wellness and marketplace strategies, while also leading its assortment brand building strategy.
"It has been a privilege to lead Revolution Beauty and our brilliant team,” said Brindley.
“This is a business with unique capabilities, a loyal customer base and now a compelling strategy for future growth.
“I am confident that the focus on the masterbrand and our core portfolio of products will continue to deliver benefits and I look forward to following the group's success in the future."
Revolution Beauty Non-Executive Director Colin Henry has been named interim CEO, with the company having already begun its search process for a permanent replacement.
Brindley said she will work alongside Henry to “ensure a seamless transition prior to beginning her new role”.
Alistair McGeorge, Revolution Beauty Chairman, commented: "On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Lauren for her considerable contribution to Revolution Beauty.
“We now have a clear strategy, a stronger management team, more efficient operations and a sustainable financial model.
“Lauren leaves the group well placed for future success and we wish her all the best in her new role.”
“Colin's time on the board, which played a key role in defining the group's new strategy, and his significant sector experience mean he is very well suited to take up the position of interim CEO."
Brindley joined Revolution Beauty on 18 September 2023 and has been leading the beauty brand globally and overseeing its strategic growth.
Prior to Revolution Beauty, she was Group VP for Beauty & Personal Care at Walgreens, where she managed the American retailer's beauty and personal care strategy.
Brindley has previously worked for Boots UK and Boots Retail International as Head of Prestige Beauty & Fragrance.
Her appointment followed a tumultuous year for Revolution Beauty.
A damning investigation into management failures at the company and lagging sales had plagued the beauty retailer through 2022 and 2023.
The situation escalated further after etailer Boohoo declared it was staging a coup against the beauty brand in June 2023.
Boohoo claimed board members did not hold the “right retail, e-commerce and consumer brands experience” to deliver shareholder value and planned to oust the leadership team.
Revolution Beauty hit back at Boohoo’s takeover attempt, however, calling it “value-destructive, opportunistic and self-serving”.
This all came to a head during a wildly chaotic AGM in June 2023 which saw the firing of Holt, as well as chair Derek Zissman and CFO Elizabeth Lake.
Jeremy Schwartz, the remaining board member and Director, chose to immediately reinstate the trio during the meeting.
Following Brindley’s appointment, Revolution Beauty started to see a return in profit growth thanks to a recovery strategy, dubbed ‘Reigniting the Revolution’, bolstering sales in 2024.
The beauty brand reported full-year profit before tax of £11.4m, up from the loss of £33.9m in 2023 when it reported difficulties with stock, revenue and the value of Revolution Labs.
Sales increased by 2% to £191.3m, which was partly driven by a period of “significant” product clearance activity in the first half of the year.