Make-up mogul Huda Kattan has announced she will no longer be CEO of Huda Beauty. Huda took to her YouTube channel to break the news and revealed that although there is a change of title, she is not going anywhere. Phew! Huda will remain the founder and chairwoman.
The decision comes seven years after the launch of Huda Beauty and Huda reveals this move has been a year in the making. “Fast forward to 2018, I knew that the company had gotten to a much better place and I knew I was ready to find somebody to take that role of CEO off my plate and allow me to be the founder I always knew I was,”
Huda revealed the responsibilities of CEO – as well as those that come with product development – left her feeling “bogged down” and took her focus away from the creative side of the company; the part she loves most. “I never wanted to be CEO! Out of necessity, I quickly shifted into the CEO role and found I had to sacrifice being involved with some areas of the business I enjoyed the most, which left me feeling unfulfilled.”
She said the move will allow her to “dive even deeper into her true passions within the business” and she will be “more involved than ever in some ways.” Huda also revealed she hopes to continue to build their online presence and wants to take this time to “leave a lasting impact on the community.” Huda will also be able to spend more time on HB Angels, part of the Kattan family’s private investment entity HB Investments, which offers mentorship and investment to female entrepreneurs.
So, who is taking over? Huda Beauty’s new CEO is Nathalie Kristo who has been with Huda Beauty since 2018 and was president of Huda Beauty’s North American operations. In 2019 she was made Global Deputy Chief Executive and was also heavily involved in Wishful – Huda Kattan’s skincare company. Nathalie has twenty years of experience in the beauty industry in roles such as Brand President of NYX Professional Makeup, Senior Vice President of Marketing for L’Oreal Paris USA and General Manager of Maybelline New York and Garnier.
Huda explains that she met Nathalie through a mutual friend and there was an instant connection, making the decision a no-brainer. “We were thrilled to meet Nathalie and to see how we could combine her wealth of knowledge and experience with the scrappiness and magic of Huda Beauty. With Nathalie on board, I feel like the sky is truly the limit.”
Speaking on her new position, Nathalie gushed “I have deep respect and admiration for the incredible business and movement that Huda Kattan and her family have created. I am honoured to join forces with such an inspiring founder and continue to harness our digital leadership, unique global footprint and total beauty expertise to grow the company into a global beauty powerhouse, which is deeply human at its core.”
You can watch Huda’s full YouTube video below:
Photos and video: YouTube and supplied
