Janet Gurwitch is a highly successful corporate executive with over 25 years of experience in the beauty industry. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Houston Astros baseball team and e-commerce accelerate Front Row.
Gurwitch is the founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics, a global brand of high-end niche cosmetics. Gurwitch managed and oversaw Laura Mercier’s day-to-day business operations, strategy development and retail negotiations.
Gurwitch joined forces with famed makeup artist Laura Mercier after realizing the imminent paradigm shift in the beauty industry that was propelling niche lines to the forefront of the cosmetics business. The combination of Gurwitch’s business savvy and foresight coupled with Mercier’s talent provided a solid foundation for a strong, growing business based on technique and a high-quality product.
Prior to founding Laura Mercier, Gurwitch was the Executive Vice President of Neiman Marcus, where she established the merchandising strategy.
After selling Laura Mercier in 2008, Gurwitch transitioned into private equity as an operating partner at Boston-based Castanea Partners, where she served on the boards of consumer brands Urban Decay Cosmetics, Tatcha, Drybar and First Aid Beauty. In 2020 she became an operating partner with Advent International, another Boston-based private equity firm, where she focused on the beauty and wellness consumer sector and served on the board of public company Olaplex (OLPX). She also served on the boards of Dollar Shave Club and public company La-Z-Boy (LZB).
Gurwitch’s personal community involvement includes the President’s Leadership Council for Houston Methodist Hospital, trustee for the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, chairing the Hermann Park Conservancy dinner event and chairing the Communities In Schools’ (CIS) annual event. She has also served as Underwriter for the Drawing Institute for the Menil Collection, and she’s an avid supporter of the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.
Gurwitch was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2023.