Lauren Brindley, Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty chief merchandising and digital officer Lauren Brindley oversees the company’s merchandising and marketplace functions, driving the assortment and brand-building strategy that shapes how nearly 47 million loyalty members discover, try, and fall in love with beauty and wellness.

She has an instinct for finding white space early, then building the brands, categories and technology to reach guests there. “When we back a founder, we’re not just adding a product to our shelves, we’re matching that talent to real demand,” she explains. That means giving brand partners the reach to meet guests wherever they discover beauty and wellness, from Ulta Beauty stores to UB Marketplace and TikTok Shop, and in markets well beyond a brand’s home. Through the MUSE Accelerator alone, “we’ve backed dozens of emerging founders, most of them women, with real funding and mentorship, and watched several go on to launch inside our stores.”

Having sat on both sides of the table as a merchant and a brand builder for more than two decades, Brindley brings a global perspective. She previously served as chief executive officer of U.K.-based Revolution Beauty and held senior leadership roles at Boots U.K. and Walgreens Boots Alliance. She serves on the board of Cosmetic Executive Women and is a 2027 CEW Achiever Award honoree.

What moves her most is “seeing a business grow and an idea that started small becoming something our guests can’t stop reaching for.” She adds: “None of it happens without our incredible team behind every decision we make.”