Penny Coy CEW Achiever Award Honoree 2024
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How Ulta Beauty’s Penny Coy Turned Her Interest in Retail into a C-Suite Success Story

Coy’s love for beauty began as a teenager in the ’80s, when the single bathroom in her family’s house was perpetually scented by Noxzema, Aqua Net, and at-home perms. Her interest in merchandising was first ignited by her mother, who owned a bridal boutique — then later stoked in college when Coy majored in retail merchandising and worked for several department stores in the Twin Cities area. At Ulta Beauty, Coy has been able to marry these interests and contribute to the retailer’s tremendous growth over the past 15 years — all while maintaining what she calls “work-life harmony.”

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