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Emily Weiss, founder of Glossier, one of the first direct-to-consumer beauty unicorns that evolved from a blog, has announced that she is stepping down as chief executive after eight years.
Kyle Leahy, who previously held positions at Nike, Cole Haan and American Express, will replace Weiss as CEO. Weiss, who is currently pregnant and set to go on maternity leave, will remain executive chairwoman, according to a blog post on Glossier’s website, confirmed by email to Business in vogue. Glossier CMO Ali Weiss, unrelated to Emily Weiss and who oversaw marketing for seven years, will also step down in July, according to a source close to the brand. Ali Weiss is replaced by Marie Suter as senior vice president and executive creative director and Kleo Mack as senior vice president of global marketing, both reporting directly to Leahy.
“I will always be the founder of Glossier. But a CEO is the champion a company turns to to lead it into tomorrow,” Weiss said in a blog post published Tuesday. “From my observations, the greatest companies in the world…make sure the CEO’s seat is always filled with the right person to take them where they need to go for their next brightest chapter.”
Glossier is famous for popularizing millennial pink in its stores, its bubble zipper pouch and for pioneering everyday beauty in an industry obsessed with perfection. However, signs of internal changes began earlier this year when the beauty brand laid off nearly a third of its staff, according to an internal email obtained by Modern retail. He also tapped singer and Gen Z favorite Olivia Rodrigo to promote the brand in April, after years of relying on his own community.
There were other bumps in the road. Two years ago, the Glossier Play sub-brand shut down and the brand was also challenged by former store employees who made allegations of racist behavior and a toxic work culture. Glossier has publicly apologized.
The brand’s most recent Series E funding raised $80 million last year, and the focus has shifted to retail stores. Weiss said in the blog post that a new store is planned for New York’s Soho neighborhood in 2023, replacing the original store. Glossier opened a new store in the heart of Covent Garden, London, in December, following stores in Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami.
Rosie Findlay, a researcher at the London College of Fashion, called Glossier an “aspirational reality”, where brands succeed by embracing marketing that mimics everyday life, in a previous interview.
Going forward, Weiss said the brand has ambitions to last 100 years and will continue to focus on “products and experiences that will change the way the world views beauty for years to come.”
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