E.LF. Beauty names new chief commercial officer

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Apr 21, 2022

E.LF. Beauty announced on Wednesday the appointment of Jennie Laar as senior vice president, chief commercial officer, effective May 16.

The Oakland, California-based company said Laar will report to Tarang Amin, chairman and chief executive officer of E.L.F Beauty, and will succeed Rich Baruch, who will take on a CEO role outside of the company.

​“Jennie is a dynamic leader with a passion for developing high performing teams which perfectly aligns with the culture at E.L.F. Beauty,” said Tarang. “She has delivered exceptional results in entrepreneurial environments and has strategically architected meaningful relationships with retailers. We are thrilled to have her join us."

A beauty and retail veteran with over 25 years of career experience, Laar joins E.L.F from Forma Brands, where she was senior vice president, global wholesale, where she was instrumental in developing the strategy and execution, growing Morphe into a multi-million dollar wholesale business. She was also involved in the expansion of emerging prestige brands such as Jaclyn Cosmetics, Bad Habit Skincare and most recently the launch of R.E.M. beauty by Ariana Grande at Ulta Beauty.

Prior to Forma Brands, Laar served as the vice president, sales and merchandising at Bare Escentuals where she led the retail store merchandising function and then the wholesale business. She also spent over 10 years at The Body Shop focused primarily on product development and merchandising. She was responsible for the company’s makeup, skincare and men’s product lifecycle management, including new launches, pricing and promotional strategies, visual merchandising, marketing plans & inventory management.

"I am so excited to join E.L.F Beauty,” said Laar. “I am inspired by the team’s renegade spirit, thirst for disruption and desire to go beyond traditional beauty boundaries. With a compelling portfolio of brands, I am excited to drive retailer growth, both domestically and internationally.”

Baruch will officially leave E.L.F on June 2, allowing for a smooth transition period after Laar commences her role.