Glossier Appoints Colin Walsh as New CEO

Glossier has named Colin Walsh as its new CEO, effective next month.

“I am thrilled to share the news that Colin Walsh is joining us as Glossier, Inc.’s new CEO,” Emily Weiss, founder of Glossier, wrote in a LinkedIn post. “This was an exciting search, and there was one person whose name kept coming up who Kyle Leahy and I knew would be the perfect fit. Even on my first call with our recruiter, he said, ‘I mean, what you want is a Colin Walsh type. That’s the dream.’ Now, Colin will officially join our team this October.”

The beauty industry veteran previously served as CEO of Ouai, led Specialty Beauty at Procter & Gamble, and in 2024 founded the supplement brand YayDay.

“As I step into this next chapter, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to partner with Emily Weiss, the Glossier team, and the board to build on that foundation and to help shape the future of this remarkable brand,” said Walsh. “Most of all, I am looking forward to learning from the team, amplifying the magic that is already here, and working together to make Glossier a true legacy brand.”

He succeeds Kyle Leahy, who is stepping down after three years in the role. Under her leadership, fragrance became the brand’s largest category, and the once digital-native, direct-to-consumer brand entered traditional retail channels, most notably with its 2023 Sephora launch. This launch not only cemented Glossier’s US retail presence but also accelerated international expansion into the UK, Middle East, Mexico, and France.

“[Walsh] brings deep beauty expertise across categories and stages of companies, and I am confident he is the right person to lead Glossier into its next chapter,” said Leahy. “Colin is devoted to the customer and leads with heart. He cares deeply about this incredibly special brand and, equally importantly, the people building it.”

In the UK and US, Glossier is stocked at Sephora and is also available directly through glossier.com.