On March 1st, 2017, Alan Stockman joined Bosley Professional Strength, bringing over 25 years of industry experience to his position as the company’s president. Stockman is enthusiastic about being with a company that is perfectly positioned to respond to growing awareness and interest in caring for thinning hair.

“We’re not the 800-pound gorilla and that is a competitive advantage,” Stockman says. “We are very well capitalized, but we are nimble, flexible and creative and we have the luxury of not needing 16 meetings to make a decision. We also understand what it’s like to be an entrepreneurial company, just like many of our salon and distributor partners.”

Stockman, who was most recently general manager of Conair Professional, took time to speak with MODERN about the tremendous opportunity he sees for his brand and the updates he is making to its structure.

MS: Once on board, you started an organizational transition. What is that looking like?

AS: This was an important priority for us and we’re making good progress, very quickly. We have maintained some of the core team members who’ve been responsible for bringing Bosley Pro this far and we’re also in the process of adding some tremendous new talent.

We’ve recently added Christine Betz as our sales director. She is a licensed cosmetologist who has great distribution experience. Through personal experience with a close family member, she has an understanding of how disease can affect hair loss and of how that loss can directly impact how a person feels about themselves, which means she is very clear on one our core missions which is to restore confidence. She is sharp, creative and a great addition to our team.

 We are also bringing on an international sales director who will be responsible for solidifying our partnerships throughout the world. She is absolutely fantastic and will be joining us within the next couple of weeks. We’re going to connect to and work with each and every distributor, whether in Canada, the UK, Russia, Malaysia, or Australia. Wherever they are in the world, we will better support them to ensure our overall mutual success.

 Hiring these sales professional ensures day-to-day excellence, solid business connections and marketplace impact.  In addition to sales, we are also looking for a marketing manager, to report to our head of marketing and education, to better support out domestic distributors and chains.

MS: What is happening within hair care around the topic of thinning hair?

AS: Quality of hair is becoming much, much more important in the overall hair care space. Quality issues and concerns can include thinning, balding, and times in our lives that challenge the integrity and appearance of our hair.

As long as I’ve been in the business, people were talking about the boom that was going to happen in the men’s category. Finally, about five years ago, it started to gain traction. There is something similar going on with quality of hair. There has never been more opportunity to create new pathways and it is our responsibility to offer solutions.

We are working on some very core, basic things including new products, a new look at our advertising, and we’re assessing what tools we need to invest in. Across the marketing mix, we are ramping up the activity. The wheels are starting to turn. I am so excited about the way we are going to bring our message to the marketplace.

MS: What product launches should we be on the lookout for from Bosley Professional?

AS: Whatever we launch, we make sure it aligns with the strategy of supporting the quality of hair. We have a robust plan of activity that involves technological innovation, usage innovation and, always in the forefront of our mind, new ways to make our customer’s lives better, easier and happier.

In summer, we’ll have our Ultra Boost Cream which is a texture volume tool for men and women. It offers control and condition in a semi-matte finish with performance ingredients including ginkgo biloba and red sea algae.

During 2017 and in 2018, we are coming out with a progression of unique and powerful products and ideas.

MS: How important is education to delivering the Bosley Professional message?

AS: Education is a cornerstone of what we do. We realize there is a fine line between making the topic of thinning hair so weighty that you alienate some of your audience. But like hair color, there has to be a solid knowledge base to do good work. What we do is consultative by nature so we share the science and the technical aspect behind everything and we are always supporting stylists so that they can, in turn, help their clients look and feel their best.

MS: Final words?

AS: You can’t stop the wave of corporations gobbling up business but so often they can suffocate a brand’s value by bringing them into the larger body. We are strong and independent and very good at what we do. We understand our customers and this business and we are poised for greatness.  With activity, innovation, support and laser-like focus, we are incredibly optimistic about the future of Bosley Professional Strength.