PARIS — Big changes are afoot at Sol de Janeiro — a game-changer in the beauty industry — as its cofounder Heela Yang exits the brand.
Jordan Saxemard, its chief marketing and digital officer, is succeeding Yang as chief executive officer, Sol de Janeiro parent company L’Occitane said in a statement Wednesday.
Yang catapulted Sol de Janeiro into superstar sales status and kicked off the current craze for mists and body products by staying hyperfocused on what she knew mattered most to the brand.
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Yang first had the idea for Sol de Janeiro shortly after moving to Rio de Janeiro. While on a Brazilian beach during her pregnancy, she noticed everyone around her — women of all shapes, sizes, colors and ethnicities — “all wearing tiny little bikinis and having the best time of their lives,” said Yang, during the WWD Beauty CEO Summit in 2023. Those women were celebrating who they are, and the here and now.
People mixed body oil with sand to use as exfoliators before jumping into the sea. “They were loving themselves head to toe,” cellulite and wrinkles included, Yang reminisced. “I became absolutely obsessed with this feeling of liberation, freedom and nonjudgment. I thought: ‘I’ve got to spread this message.’ That’s how it all began.”
Sol de Janeiro was created to spark self-celebration and joy through the power and warmth of the Brazilian spirit. It was all about attitude, and that resonated around the globe.
The brand started with body care, which led to Sol de Janeiro’s now iconic Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. It broke codes of premium products, coming housed in bright yellow packaging and spangled with the words “bum bum.”
Since the product was meant to be delicious, Yang added 3 percent fragrance to its formula. Fragrance supplier Robertet took a bet on the concept, collaborating on it for free, and then the brand became among its largest clients. So did Sephora, where in 2016, a year after its launch, Bum Bum Cream became the number-one skin care product after three months.
Yang grew a major business with just one hero product. A fragrance mist was created from the Bum Bum Cream’s scent, for instance. Last year, Sol de Janeiro debuted a new lotion also with the fragrance, called Body Badalada Vitamin-Infused Lotion.
Most recently, Sol de Janeiro introduced a trio of Jelly Perfume Balms, marking the perpetually viral brand’s first solid fragrance format. The jelly balms were designed for on-the-go application and come in Sol de Janeiro’s signature gourmand and floral Cheirosa 62, 68 and 40 scents.
L’Occitane acquired a majority stake in Sol de Janeiro in November 2021.
In its 2025 results statement, L’Occitane Group said Sol de Janeiro generated 31.6 percent of its total sales of $2.8 billion. Last year, the brand kept dominating in the U.S. as Sephora North America’s number-one beauty brand and Amazon U.S.’ top-selling fragrance brand.
Media reports early in 2026 circulated that L’Occitane Group is weighing a possible IPO in the U.S. after the group had been taken private in 2024, following a 14-year stretch of trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
L’Occitane is expected to have significant capital expenditure, including the purchase of the minority stakes in Sol de Janeiro, between 2026 and 2028 for about 600 million euros, according to EthiFinance.
“The L’Occitane Group acknowledges Heela Yang’s role as cofounder of Sol de Janeiro and her contributions in establishing the brand,” the company said in the statement.
Saxemard has an expertise in brand development, digital acceleration and organizational leadership.
According to his LinkedIn profile, the executive joined Sol de Janeiro seven months ago. Prior to that, he was chief marketing officer at Sonos for one year, spent almost three years at Dyson and 12 years at Coty Inc.
“The group has full confidence in his ability to lead at scale, drive operational discipline and execute against Sol de Janeiro’s strategic priorities,” L’Occitane said.
“Jordan Saxemard has already made a significant impact at Sol de Janeiro,” said Reinold Geiger, L’Occitane Group chairman and CEO. “This transition ensures continuity of leadership and positions him well to build on the brand’s strong momentum as it enters this next chapter.”
“Sol de Janeiro has always stood for something bigger than beauty — it’s a celebration of joy, sensuality, and self-expression, rooted in the warmth of the Brazilian spirit,” said Saxemard. “I’m energized to build on that foundation and expand the brand’s global presence and impact with clarity, discipline and creative boldness — while staying true to what makes it unique.”