MAC Cosmetics names Ukonwa Ojo SVP for Global Marketing

By

Robin Driver

Published
Nov 20, 2019

Estée Lauder-owned beauty brand MAC Cosmetics announced on Wednesday that it has tapped Coty alum Ukonwa Ojo as its senior vice president for global marketing, a newly created role at the company.

 
In her new position at MAC, Ojo will help boost the brand’s presence and appeal to consumers in growing markets around the world and support the company’s shift to be more focused on insights, data and analytics.
 
She will oversee MAC’s consumer marketing and product marketing teams and have dotted line management responsibility for product development, in order to drive consumer engagement and product innovation. She will also serve as key global partner to the brand’s regional teams around the world.

Ojo will report to SVP and general manager of MAC Cosmetics Philippe Pinatel.
 
The executive brings 22 years of experience to her new position and joins MAC from Coty, where she most recently served as chief marketing officer for consumer beauty. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing global marketing activities at the Covergirl and Sally Hansen brands, as well as the national marketing of Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Clairol, and Mass Fragrances in the US.
 
During the period that she held this position, her teams achieved improvements in both sales and market share.

Ojo’s first role at Coty, which she joined in October 2016, was senior vice president for Covergirl, where she reworked the brand’s positioning in the most significant overhaul seen by the label in its 60-year history.
 
Prior to this, she served as senior global director for Knorr at Unilever, having previously worked in a range of brand and general management roles at Reckitt Benckiser, General Mills Corporation and Meadwestvaco Corporation.
 
The graduate of UNC Kenan Flagler Business School, who also holds an MBA in finance, marketing and international business from the Kellogg School of Management, has been named on Business Insider’s list of 25 Most Innovative CMOs, Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 and the Fast Company’s Top 100 list of Most Creative People in Business, among a wide range of other accolades.
 
“Ukonwa is a true brand builder who imbues a fast-moving entrepreneurial spirit and truly embodies the brands that she works on,” said Pinatel in a release. “She looks at brands holistically from the viewpoint of everyone, not just one singular consumer, which is crucial to the DNA of MAC and I am excited for her to lead our marketing teams in this consumer-centric approach.”
 
Ojo’s appointment is effective December 2, 2019.