Glossier founder Emily Weiss is stepping down as the makeup and skincare brand’s CEO, effective immediately. Kyle Leahy, formerly the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, will assume the role, with Weiss staying on as Executive Chairwoman.
Weiss announced the decision in a lengthy letter to the “Glossier Community,” which you can read in full here. In the announcement, she wrote,
“I’ve had the privilege of not just being Glossier’s founder since 2014, but also its CEO…I’ve always thought of these titles as unique from one another: A founder is a forever identity, one that starts with a kernel of an idea and never ends. I will always be Glossier’s founder. But a CEO is the champion that a company looks to, to lead it into tomorrow. From my observation, the greatest companies in the world understand this distinction and make sure that the CEO seat is always filled with the right person to take it where it needs to go for its brightest next chapter.
Every year I reflect on Glossier, and specifically, the ever-evolving role of the CEO in our young company’s lifecycle. I check in and ask myself the same question: Am I the best person to lead the company, for where we are and where we’re headed? And if not, who is? This year, as has often been the case with some of our proudest and most pivotal moments at Glossier, a person inspired a new direction: her name is Kyle Leahy, and I’m thrilled to announce that she’s stepping up into the CEO role.”
Weiss touted Leahy’s experience at brands like Nike, Cole Haan and American Express, and added that she, Weiss, would stay involved in the company’s major projects, like the New York flagship store, expected to open in SoHo next year.
Emily Weiss posted a picture of herself with Leahy to her Instagram as well.
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Weiss started her career with internships at Ralph Lauren and Teen Vogue, before securing jobs at Vogue and W. In 2014, she launched beauty blog Into The Gloss, which she then spun off into the super-successful start-up beauty brand Glossier.
Glossier has come under scrutiny the past couple years. In 2020, ex-retail employees came out with allegations of racism, telling Fortune that the beauty brand “failed to support Black workers.” Glossier’s alleged toxic workplace culture was also documented on the anonymous Instagram page Outta The Gloss. Earlier this year, it was reported that Glossier laid off a third of its corporate staff. In an email to employees, Weiss cited “certain strategic projects that distracted us” and admitted the company “got ahead of ourselves on hiring,” according to CNN.
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