Andrea NagelThe Labor Day weekend didn’t stop brands from creating new approaches to workplace leadership or expanding AI efforts. Here’s the latest.
E.l.f. Beauty is taking its Change the Board Game initiative to UC Berkeley through a new 12-week student course focused on leadership and career development. Created with student organizations, the course will give students the chance to learn directly from business leaders and other professionals about topics such as marketing, finance, technology, and corporate boards. Students will also explore networking, interviewing, personal branding, and different career paths. The program aims to help young people understand how leadership works and encourage more diverse voices in future boardrooms. By introducing these ideas early, e.l.f. Beauty hopes to make opportunities in leadership feel more accessible and inspire students to become future changemakers. (Business Wire)
Kohl’s is changing its leadership structure by combining its marketing and digital teams under a new Chief Customer Officer position. Arianne Parisi, the company’s current Chief Digital Officer, will take on the role and oversee areas such as online shopping, loyalty programs, personalization, and marketing. The change is part of Kohl’s larger effort to create a smoother experience for customers both in stores and online. The retailer has also been updating its website, improving product displays, and simplifying its selection to make shopping easier. While these efforts have helped slow recent sales declines, Kohl’s still faces challenges in attracting and keeping customers. The company hopes these changes will strengthen its brand and support future growth. (Retail Dive)
Unilever Prestige is partnering with CauzzyAI to bring artificial intelligence into more areas of its business. The goal is to use AI to make everyday tasks easier, connect information across different systems, and help employees make quicker, better-informed decisions. CauzzyAI’s technology will support areas such as finance, supply chains, operations, planning, and leadership. Instead of using AI only as a simple assistant, the companies want it to handle more complicated processes and provide useful insights automatically. This partnership reflects Unilever Prestige’s larger effort to become more digitally advanced and use AI as part of its long-term strategy. By reducing repetitive work, the company hopes employees can spend more time on innovation, solving problems, and creating better experiences for customers. (Morning Star)
Kao is strengthening its leadership in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa by giving Michael Cramer a larger role within the company. Cramer has been named Vice President of the Professional Hair and Consumer Care Business in EMEA, where he will oversee commercial activities across both areas. With more than 25 years of experience in the consumer goods industry, he brings extensive knowledge from roles at companies such as Gillette, Reckitt, and Kao itself. His new position will focus on improving teamwork across markets and identifying new opportunities for growth. Kao has also appointed René Heiligenstein to lead the wider EMEA Consumer Care organization. Together, these leadership changes are intended to strengthen Kao’s regional operations and better serve customers across different markets. (The Industry Beauty)
The National Eczema Association is expanding its Seal of Acceptance program into color cosmetics for the first time. The program will initially cover products such as foundations, concealers, and primers made with people who have eczema or sensitive skin in mind. To receive the seal, products must go through reviews by skin-care specialists and meet specific safety and ingredient requirements. They also undergo outside testing to check for irritation and other concerns. Products with added fragrance, certain UV ingredients, and other restricted substances are not eligible. Brands including IT Cosmetics, Laura Geller Beauty, Rare Beauty, and Tower 28 Beauty are among the first to receive the certification. The move gives beauty companies another way to show their products meet sensitive-skin standards. (Global Cosmetics News)
To read more about these stories, click the headlines below.
Kohl’s Unites Marketing, Digital Under New Chief Customer Officer Role
CauzzyAI And Unilever Prestige Partner To Accelerate AI Innovation Across Prestige Beauty
Kao Strengthens EMEA Leadership To Support Regional Growth
National Eczema Association Expands Seal Of Acceptance To Colour Cosmetics
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