United States
The Estée Lauder Companies Announces Leadership Updates
Press Release, 10 Jun 2020
The Estée Lauder Companies’ talent philosophy is increasingly focused on strategically aligning the expertise, capabilities and experiences of high-potential leaders with the best opportunities to drive long-term, sustainable growth. This is especially true at the brand leadership level, as each distinctive brand within the company’s portfolio reflects a unique equity and culture. To that end, the Estée Lauder Companies is pleased to announce two important and exciting leadership updates for the Origins and La Mer brands, as follows:
• Ada Lien has been appointed Senior Vice President and General Manager, Origins, effective July 1, 2020. She will report to Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Group President, The Estée Lauder Companies, and will become a member of her Executive Leadership Team, as well as a member of the company’s Extended Executive Leadership Team.
• Lesley Crowther has been appointed Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, La Mer, effective July 1, 2020. She will relocate from the U.K. to New York and will report directly to Justin Boxford, Global Brand President, La Mer.
Further information on each appointment is below.
Ada Lien Named Senior Vice President and Global General Manager, Origins
An immensely talented executive known for marketing and executional excellence as well as an extensive background across skin care and prestige beauty brands, Ada possesses a deep understanding of the rapidly evolving global luxury skin care landscape and is perfectly suited to lead Origins into its next phase of global growth. Since its founding in 1990, Origins has valued the well-being of people and the planet, offering mindfully formulated skin care and wellness products of the highest quality that harness the power of transformative natural ingredients. Ada’s expertise in luxury skin care marketing gives her a unique ability to drive Origins high performance natural skincare.
As Senior Vice President, Global General Manager, Origins, Ada will be responsible for overseeing and developing the brand’s mission of combining the best of nature and science, as well as further expanding its global position as the high-performance natural beauty brand with a soul. She will continue to accelerate the brand’s highly successful online business while driving retail with a focus on specialty-multi and freestanding stores. She will also oversee a digital-first brand marketing strategy that maximizes the brand’s beloved core products and franchises, including Dr. Weil Mega Mushroom, GinZing and Plantscription, which support both inner balance and outer beauty. Additionally, she will continue to drive Origins’ sustainability-driven ethos, creating a 360-degree community dedicated to “Greening the Planet.”
In her most recent role as Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, La Mer, Ada was responsible for the brand’s Global Marketing direction, overseeing all launch strategies, Consumer Engagement and Digital Marketing. Ada’s consumer-centric approach drove deep engagement with the brand’s authentic heritage of healing and connection with the sea, with a relentless focus on quality and luxury that has made La Mer the #1 Luxury Skincare brand in the world. Her leadership contributed exponentially to the growth of the brand by driving deep consumer devotion and redefining the ultimate luxury experience across regions and channels. During her time with the brand, she led global launches of iconic products including The Soft Cream, The Treatment Lotion, and most recently, The Renewal Oil and Genaissance de La Mer, The Serum.
Ada joined the The Estée Lauder Companies in 2003 as part of the Presidential Management Associate Program and quickly earned a permanent position as a Marketing Manager with Clinique. Since then, Ada has held roles of increasing responsibility across the company.
She is a founder and board member of the Harvard Business School Asian American Alumni Association, a board member of ELC’s Diversity Council and a member of ELC’s Brand Marketing Leadership Excellence Council. She received CEW’s Top Talent Award in 2018 and is currently a CEW Mentor.
Lesley Crowther Named Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, La Mer
An enthusiastic leader and innovative thinker, Lesley brings to La Mer nearly 20 years of strategic, consumer and applied marketing experience, as well as a unique ability to collaborate across creative, retail, product development and marketing teams. As Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, La Mer, she will be responsible for continuing to develop the brand’s strategic Product and Consumer Marketing direction globally, by elevating aspiration and desirability, and deepening consumer devotion by offering new levels of luxury. Lesley will continue to drive La Mer’s global status as the ultimate in global luxury skin care, not only with today’s consumers, but with the next generation of La Mer devotees.
Lesley will oversee the development of a global, regionally relevant consumer marketing strategy across all consumer touch points, while elevating brand desirability, accelerating success with Chinese consumers globally, and continuing to gain luxury market share. Under Lesley’s guidance, the development and creation of new online and offline luxury experiences, together with La Mer’s enduring heritage and globally beloved, transformative products, will further support the brand’s incredible momentum and growth.
In her most recent role as Vice President, Consumer Engagement, U.K. and Ireland, Lesley created a Center of Excellence for Consumer Engagement, bringing together big market data and trends, CRM, cultural relevancy, market and consumer insights and strategy to ensure an integrated, consumer-centric approach. She developed a Consumer Engagement strategy that focused on amplifying visibility and relevancy for The Estée Lauder Companies’ brands in the U.K. and Ireland, with a seamless consumer journey across all touchpoints, by strategically building partnerships across the company’s portfolio, working with Brand Managers and Marketing leaders to enable the sharing of best practice and brand insights, and drive an omni-channel approach.
Since joining the company in 2003 as an Advertising and Internet Coordinator, Lesley has since held key roles of increasing responsibility including leading marketing for Estée Lauder and Origins in the United Kingdom. She joined the U.K. and Ireland Executive Leadership team when she was promoted to Director, Consumer Engagement and Strategy, U.K. and Ireland, in 2016.
An announcement regarding Lesley’s successor will be made at a later date.
About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Lab Series, Origins, Tommy Hilfiger, M·A·C, Kiton, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Donna Karan New York, DKNY, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Michael Kors, Darphin, Tom Ford, Smashbox, Ermenegildo Zegna, AERIN, RODIN olio lusso, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, By Kilian, BECCA, Too Faced and Dr. Jart+