Today, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) announced the appointment of Barbara De Laere to Senior Vice President/General Manager, Aveda – North America, effective December 1, 2016. She will report directly to Thia Breen, Group President, North America, with a matrix reporting line to Dominique Conseil, Global Brand President, Aveda.

Based at Aveda’s global headquarters in Blaine, Minnesota, Ms. De Laere will be responsible for optimizing Aveda’s growth potential in North America.  She will lead a  team of executives to develop and execute Aveda’s North America go-to-market strategy – overseeing Applied Marketing, Retail, and Field Sales and Education. Her role will include strengthening Aveda’s strategy across its retail channels, including its salons and spas, Experience Centers, online and omnichannel. She will also lead the brand’s digital marketing and social media strategies in North America, and further drive consumer engagement across all touchpoints, including in stores and salons.   

De Laere joins the Company from L’Oréal, where she spent the past 16 years in various international senior leadership and general management roles within its Professional Products Division. Her global experience has included positions in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and New York, as well as broader oversight of Western Europe and Asia Pacific.  During her tenure, she was responsible for managing the brand identities, go-to-market strategies and revenue growth of several well-known hair care brands.  Most recently, she served as General Manager and Executive Vice President, Asia Pacific – Professional Products Division, based in Shanghai, China, where she helped lead the integration of newly acquired skin care brands, among other responsibilities.

 “Barbara is a strong analytical and strategic thinker with proven ability to lead luxury beauty brands and drive growth," Breen says. "Her deep expertise in skin care, hair care and the luxury salon channel position her well to take on this important role for the Company and our North America business.”