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After three decades behind the scenes of America’s largest retailers, Kecia Steelman is stepping into the spotlight.
In January, Steelman became one of the most powerful executives in beauty by taking on the role of president and CEO at Ulta Beauty, the nation’s largest beauty retailer. “I know a lot about this company, and I saw where we had areas where we could really lean into and hit the ground running,” Steelman told Glossy on the Glossy Beauty Podcast. “I’m a true believer of people first, and it’s about the people you surround yourself with [that leads to success].”
Like most retailers, Ulta’s sales tumbled during the 2020 pandemic, and despite an uptick in 2021, year-over-year sales had been steadily falling for nearly three years. In March, just two months after stepping into the CEO role, Steelman unveiled her Ulta Beauty Unleashed comeback plan — and in just 11 months, her strategy has paid off.
“When you have a very clear vision and a strategy that is understood by absolutely everyone in the organization, from the front line [retail workers] to the investment community and everyone in between, the likelihood of success is much greater,” she said. “[Today], everyone knows the role that they play.”
As part of her plan, Steelman expanded Ulta’s e-commerce and product assortment with a new online marketplace created with the French software provider Mirakl. It has introduced more than 100 new brands and thousands of products to Ulta’s e-commerce site.
Steelman also led Ulta’s acquisition of the U.K. specialty beauty retailer SpaceNK, which brought new e-commerce revenue and 83 brick-and-mortar locations across the U.K. and Ireland into the Ulta Beauty ecosystem. She continued this international expansion into Mexico and the Middle East through strategic licensing partnerships, which she plans to replicate in 2026 in new international regions.
Then there was Ulta’s breakup with Target, which Steelman told investors was mutual during her August earnings call.
With Steelman at the helm, the company accomplished this and more, all while dramatically improving revenue. Sales at Ulta Beauty have been on a continuous upward swing since Steelman took over at the top of the year. In May, the retailer reported 4.5% net sales growth. This doubled to a 9.3% net sales spike, reported in August, and nearly tripled in last month’s earnings report.
While she only recently stepped into the international spotlight as the new leader of America’s largest beauty retailer, it’s as if Steelman’s been preparing for this moment her entire life. She’s a self-proclaimed “small-town girl from Iowa” who got her start as an hourly retail worker. Her lengthy CV starts with 12 years at Target, working her way up to district manager before she split a decade of her career between gm at Home Depot and vp at Family Dollar. Steelman has been with Ulta Beauty for more than a decade. She started as chief store operations officer, then became president of international, then, most recently, president and COO.
“If you keep your guest and your associate at the center of all your decisions, you’re going to be focused on the right things for the business that are going to be true, authentic and organic,” Steelman said. “We’re hitting on all cylinders, and you can see it in the results. That’s not only in top-line sales, but we’re taking back market share in both mass and prestige, which is fantastic.”
You can listen to Glossy’s full interview with Kecia Steelman on the Glossy Beauty Podcast.
