Ulta names new president, chief merchandising and marketing officer

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Apr 15, 2019

The US cosmetics retailer has promoted David C. Kimbell to the role of president and chief merchandising and marketing officer of Ulta Beauty.

In his new role, Kimbell will take on the responsibilities of corporate strategy and merchandise planning and operations, adding to his existing responsibilities as chief merchandising and marketing officer. As in his previous role, he will report directly to Mary Dillon, the company’s chief executive officer.

“[Kimbell] plays a critical role in driving our business results and leading the organization as a member of the executive team,” said Dillon. “This expansion of Dave’s scope more closely aligns corporate strategy with the merchandising and marketing functions to identify future growth opportunities, strengthen execution, and extend our competitive advantage.”

Kimbell first joined Ulta in February of 2014, initially serving as chief marketing officer, later becoming chief merchandising and marketing officer. Prior to his time with the beauty company, he served as chief marketing officer and executive vice president at U.S. Cellular, and as chief marketing officer and senior vice president of eco-products company, Seventh Generation. In addition, he has also held various positions at PepsiCo, Quaker Food Division, and at The Procter and Gamble Company.

Ulta continues to make strong progress as a beauty retailer among consumers, recently being highlighted as a top performer with Gen-Z shoppers in a survey conducted by investment bank Piper Jaffray, beating out competitors like Sephora, Walmart, Target and Amazon.