Mary Kay Inc., celebrating its 55th anniversary as a top beauty brand and direct seller in nearly 40 markets, has announced the appointments of Chaun Harper as Senior Vice President – Chief Manufacturing Officer and Dr. Lucy Gildea as Senior Vice President – Chief Scientific Officer. In their new roles, Harper and Gildea will join the global cosmetics company’s executive team.
As Senior Vice President – Chief Manufacturing Officer, Chaun Harper will assume responsibility for global manufacturing operations, global inventory control, supply planning, transportation and global quality. Harper joined Mary Kay Inc. in 2014 as Director of Production Operations. During his tenure, Harper has been instrumental in creating a culture of continuous improvement at Mary Kay’s manufacturing facility including dramatically increasing production efficiency and implementing key development opportunities for employees to elevate technical skills and advance their careers. Prior to joining the iconic beauty company, Harper worked for L’Oréal where he held several positions within both the operations and quality functions.
As Senior Vice President – Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Lucy Gildea will continue to lead Mary Kay Inc.’s research and development operations. Since joining the iconic beauty company in 2017, Dr. Gildea has worked to execute the company’s global product strategy and innovation pipeline. With a global portfolio of more than 1,400 patents for products, technologies and packaging systems, Mary Kay has fostered a culture of innovation and invests millions of dollars annually in research and development. Dr. Gildea will be key in leading the company innovatively into the next generation. Prior to joining Mary Kay Inc., Dr. Gildea spent 15 years at Procter and Gamble, working in health care, oral care, beauty technology and beauty/skin development.
“In a relatively short period of time, both Chaun and Lucy have made significant contributions and proven to be instrumental in Mary Kay’s research, development, and supply chain operations,” said Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer for Mary Kay Inc. “In their new roles as members of the company’s executive team, Chaun and Lucy will work to ensure global and regional alignment of strategy and plans for Mary Kay® products. As one of the top innovators in the direct selling and cosmetic industries, Mary Kay is a cosmetics powerhouse with more than 700 products in our global portfolio. As we continue to produce best-in-the-industry products, we are proud to appoint Chaun and Lucy to these executive positions knowing their leadership and expertise will be invaluable as we build on our efforts to enrich women’s lives worldwide.”
Harper earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Ark. and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. Dr. Gildea earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. and a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases from the University of Cincinnati.
