British Beauty Market Update 2023

During her career as a retail maven and brand creator Millie Kendall has been instrumental in the success of cult brands including Shu Uemura, Aveda, Tweezerman and L’Occitane. In 1997 she founded and created makeup brand, Ruby & Millie cosmetics and was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to the cosmetics industry. Kendall is the co-founder of beauty boutique, BeautyMART and PR agency, BRANDstand Communications. In 2018 she co-founded the British Beauty Council, a non-profit organisation that aims to support a successful, innovative, and inclusive British beauty industry.

Stirling Murray is the founder and MD of The Red Tree, the UK’s leading international beauty brand consultancy. With a global client list that includes major corporates, p/e houses and well-funded startups The Red Tree is the “go-to company” for vision, strategy, NPD, and straight-talking common sense. The company has worked with clients in more than 10 global markets, creating and implementing long term strategy, developing and launching new brands and putting in place international growth plans.

Founded in 2010 The Red Tree also manages brands for international brand owners as their UK Country Manager and have listed client brands in SpaceNK, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Selfridges, The Hut Group, Feel Unique, Indulge in Beauty, Boots, QVC and in European retailers and distributors.

With over 35 year’s experience in the global beauty market Stirling has held UK and international board roles at Rimmel, Estée Lauder and Bourjois. With an extensive network of contacts in the international beauty sector Stirling is a frequent speaker at international beauty and spa events has lectured in Marketing at the London College of Fashion and was a member of their Industry Advisory Panel.

Kelly Kovack is the CEO and Founder of BeautyMatter, a noted beauty authority, brand advisor and strategist. She began her career in beauty as one of the original executive team members at Bliss, taking on the way women bought beauty as the Managing Director of the Bliss Catalog. This venture fundamentally changed the way beauty products were merchandised, distributed and marketed to consumers leading the acquisition of Bliss by LVMH. As Vice President of Marketing for Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, she was at the forefront of defining the cosmeceutical category. Kelly also founded consultancy group Purpose Built, providing concept to counter solutions and strategic advisement for startups to Fortune 500 brand and everything in between. In addition, she's also built her own brands, most recently award-winning fragrance brand, Odin, which was co-founded in collaboration with the men's fashion brand. Kelly is the “lens” of BeautyMatter providing a fresh voice to the beauty industry with highly curated news and original content.