CEW’s annual honoring of top female leadership in the beauty industry is turning 50.
The semicentennial iteration of CEW’s Achiever Awards touches on a bevy of trends defining the beauty industry today, with the organization looking beyond brands to honor retailers, innovators and, in this year’s case, a preeminent banker and a tech founder.
“These women are in leadership positions, leading brands. I don’t know if we could have said that years ago,” Jacobson said of the progress toward gender parity in beauty in the past five decades. “The leadership is more diverse, we’re honoring people in adjacent businesses, and we aim to reflect the composition of the industry now across large and small businesses.”
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Case in point, Dr. Dennis Gross’ cofounder Carrie Gross reflects the importance of dermatological skin care; Perfect Corp.’s Alice Chang mirrors the growing importance of tech; and Amazon’s Melis Del Rey because “they’re the leader,” Jacobson said. “This award would be incomplete without Amazon.”
Of the cohort of honorees, she said, “They’re not always in front of the scenes, but they make such a huge impact on the business.”
As much as the organization looks to where beauty is and is heading, Jacobson also sought to honor its Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, Carol Hamilton, for her hand in steering the industry there. Hamilton announced her retirement after 40 years at L’Oréal in February.
“Carol is an institution in this industry. She is one of a few women that has had such a large part in identifying and growing companies that have become hugely successful,” Jacobson said.
For the 50 years ahead, the awards will only become more important. “The awards are always going to be a part of CEW’s legacy because it’s a part of our mission, which is to see women succeed and show their impact on the industry,” Jacobson said. The achievers, she said, “shows all of the breadth and importance of women talent.”