Exciting things are happening at Beauty Industry Group (BIG). The company recently announced that Robert Schaeffler has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Derrick Porter, BIG’s longtime CEO. Porter, who previously held the position for 18 years, will be transitioning to the company’s board of directors.
An accomplished leader in the beauty space, Schaeffler comes to BIG with a multitude of experience leading brands in the hair and broader beauty industry. He has a proven track record of building strong brand identities, modernizing go-to-market strategies, optimizing consumer and stylist experiences, and driving meaningful revenue and profit growth for numerous brands in the Pro and Consumer space.
Recently, he served as the CEO of Vegamour, a leader in holistic hair wellness. Prior to joining Vegamour, Schaeffler served as the CEO of DevaCurl, where he boosted revenue and profitability and built the brand into one of the fastest-growing premium professional hair care brands in the U.S., culminating in the successful sale to Henkel in 2019. He also held various senior leadership roles at Henkel Professional, including serving as General Manager of Henkel Professional North America, where he managed an assortment of fast-growing Professional brands, including SexyHair and Kenra Professional, while simultaneously launching Guy Tan’s #mydentity hair color line.
“I’m thrilled to join BIG and work with the team to supercharge the Company’s next chapter as we work to extend its leadership position in one of the most attractive, high-growth, and underserved segments within the beauty industry,” said Schaeffler. “The hair extensions category sits at the inflection point and is poised for accelerated growth as consumers across all demographics are increasingly seeking out extensions for fuller, thicker, and longer hair to supplement their everyday lives. It is a testament to Derrick’s vision and leadership that BIG has become the premier provider of hair extensions services. I look forward to working closely with the exceptional team he has built.”
Founded in 2004, BIG was acquired by private equity firm L Catterton in 2021. The company owns several hair extension and haircare brands including Halocouture, Bellami, and Beauty Works which are distributed to more than 120,000 salons and stylists, and millions of customers across 165 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
“Robert is a beauty industry veteran who brings world-class experience leading brands through periods of transformational growth,” said Avik Pramanik, a Partner at L Catterton. “Since partnering with BIG, we have seen the category continue its rapid growth trajectory on the back of increasing consumer awareness and growing demand for hair care products that provide functional solutions, a premium experience, and broad-ranging accessibility. The Company has extended its market leadership by expanding its brand portfolio with the acquisition of premium hair care brand BELLAMI, investing in BIG’s industry-leading sourcing and supply chain, and exploring new opportunities within the hair extensions category as well as other adjacencies.”
Pramanik added, “As we look ahead, we’re thrilled to have Robert join as BIG continues to pursue the massive whitespace and numerous exciting growth opportunities within hair extensions and the broader hair care category. We look forward to partnering with Robert, who recognizes the tremendous opportunity ahead to scale BIG’s unique platform and shares in the Company’s vision to build one of the world’s leading beauty platforms. We have also greatly appreciated working with Derrick over the last three years. His leadership and contributions extend far beyond BIG to the broader beauty industry, and we are thankful to have his continued support and guidance as a member of the Board.”
“I’m incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished over the last 18 years as we’ve transformed BIG from a small, local business in Salt Lake City into a global industry leading hair solutions company,” said Porter. “With Robert’s deep industry experience and expertise in accelerating growth at iconic brands in the space, I know BIG is positioned for continued success under his leadership. I look forward to working with Robert and continuing to support BIG in my role on the Board.”
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