Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) honored seven of the beauty industry’s top women executives on April 11, 2019, at the Sixth Annual Top Talent Awards, held at The Union League Club in New York City.

The awards honor the performance and achievement of women who are making a mark on the beauty industry. Carlotta Jacobson, president, CEW, said, “The Top Talent Awards underscore why we do what we do.”

The recipients are nominated by a CEW Board member or senior executive within the company and reviewed by a special CEW committee of the Board of Governors. Each nominee is looked at for the impact they have on their companies and the beauty industry at large, as well as their future leadership potential.

Jacobson said, “The awards are intended to illuminate the critical role these honorees play in moving the industry forward.”

In recognizing this next wave of beauty leaders, CEW is celebrating the innovation and inspiration that continues to energize the industry. “For 65 years, CEW has helped women in the beauty industry achieve, advance, and inspire. We are delighted to honor these seven inspirational women for their achievements and look forward to hearing them share their stories,” said Jacobson. She recognized the sponsors of the event, including Marie Claire, Symrise, 24 Seven, Simple, Milani, L’Oréal, Imtech Graphics, Covergirl, Yonwoo/PKG, QVC, Revlon, Beauty Inc, WWD, Moblty, Kaplow Communications, and Marketing Solutions Inc.
 
The CEW’s Top Talent Honorees
 
Jennifer Cohen, Senior Director, Brand Merchandising, Sephora

• Jennifer Cohen, Senior Director, Brand Merchandising, Sephora, received the award from the retailer’s CMO, Artemis Patrick. Cohen’s responsibilities include scouting for and incubating emerging brands. Since joining Sephora in 2008, she has helped advance Sephora’s makeup brand portfolio by nurturing such brands as Kat Von D Beauty, Marc Jacobs Beauty, and Fenty Beauty.

Megan Crokos, Senior VP, Product and Fragrance Development, Mast Global Beauty and Home, Bath & Body Works

• Megan Crokos, senior vice president, product & fragrance development, Mast Global Beauty and Home, Bath & Body Works, received her award from the company’s SVP, Mark Knitowski. Crokos defines big picture strategies for all Bath & Body Works beauty, personal care, and home products, with more than 1,200 new skus, and more than $4 billion in annual sales. She described a career that moved up, down, and sideways, and credited her mentor, Jennifer Balbier for inspiring her.

Marcie Hoklas, Senior Director/DMM Beauty Company, Walgreens-Boots Alliance

• Marcie Hoklas, senior director/DMM Beauty Company, Walgreens-Boots Alliance received her award from the company’s GVP and GMM, Beauty & Personal Care,  Lauren Brindley. In her role, Hoklas has grown Cosmetics from $800M to $1.2B in sales, and recently doubled growth of Dermatological Skincare. She expressed her hope to one day be a mentor and advocate to inspire others in their careers.

 
Rachel Painter, Vice President, Research and Development, The Estée Lauder Companies

• Rachel Painter, vice president, R&D, The Estée Lauder Companies, received her award from the company’s senior vice president, R&D, Lisa Napolione. Painter is responsible for leading total Makeup Innovation and heads Estée Lauder Brand, Tom Ford Formulation, and MAC. She noted her early interest in science, and credited her parents for instilling the values of hard work and living life with integrity.

 
Suzanne Pengelly, SVP, US Sales and Education, bareMinerals & Buxom

• Suzanne Pengelly, SVP, US Sales and Education, bareMinerals & Buxom, received her award from the company’s GM, Alessio Rossi. Pengelly, who focuses on US commercial wholesale strategy and execution, has 20 years of beauty experience, with a track record of success in developing business strategies, managing sales, and organizing and developing high caliber teams that deliver results. In accepting her honor, she noted the importance of developing a passion for learning, not being afraid to fail, being able to take risks, and surrounding yourself with friends, family, teams, and mentors who are encouraging and positive.           

 
Mary F. Rodrigues, SVP, Marketing and Ecommerce, RéVive Skincare

• Mary F. Rodrigues, SVP, marketing & Ecommerce, RéVive Skincare, received her award from the company’s CEO, Elana Drell Szyfer. Rodrigues has been instrumental in setting up the RéVive Company as a stand-alone entity and achieving exceptional growth. In her acceptance speech, she stressed the importance of making each moment count, saying it is always essential to take something from every moment, and be true to your passions. “The concept of being authentic has been around for a while,” she said, “and it’s important to remember to celebrate your successes.”

Salina Urben, Senior Regional Education Manager, Clarins

• Salina Urben, Senior Regional Education Manager, Clarins, received her award from Groupe Clarins’ EVP/GM Danyelle Boilard-Paul. In her role, Urben educates advisors, retailers, and clients, assisting in content and material development of multi-channel training programs, including e-learning and educational videos. In her acceptance, she emphasized the importance of hard work, noting that it took eight years for her to become a trainer. She concluded with the motto from Clarins’ founder, Jacques Courtin-Clarins, who said, “Do more, do better, and enjoy doing so,” a theme that continues to impact her perspective.

Closing Remarks
 
In closing, Carlotta Jacobson thanked the industry at large, recognized the contributions of the Board of CEW, and highlighted the achievements of the day’s honorees. “These are the most fabulous women and I’m so glad we could do this event to recognize them today; and I want to thank the companies that support them,” said Jacobson. Clearly, these are women to watch in today’s changing beauty landscape.

Additional CEW programs that recognize achievement in the industry include the Achiever Awards, which honor outstanding female leaders in the beauty industry, and the Female Founder Awards, which acknowledge entrepreneurs for their leadership and innovation. Like the Top Talent Awards, their purpose is to inspire future leaders and support the advancement of women in the industry. Additional information about CEW programs and events may be found at: www.cew.org.
 
—Written by Nancy Jeffries, Beauty Packaging correspondent
 
PHOTO: Top Talent Honorees (L-R): Megan Crokos, Bath & Body Works; Rachel Painter, The Estée Lauder Companies; Marcie Hoklas, Walgreens-Boots Alliance; Jennifer Cohen, Sephora; Suzanne Pengally, bareMinerals; Salina Urben, Clarins; and Mary Farrell Rodrigues, RéVive Skincare.