Ulta Beauty’s Shelley Haus dies at 49 – WWD

Shelley Haus, director of marketing for Ulta Beauty, has died.

She was 49 years old.

The cause was cancer.

Haus joined the retailer as vice president of brand marketing in 2014. She was promoted to senior vice president in 2017 and named CMO in 2019. Prior to Ulta, she held senior roles at GFK and PepsiCo.

Under former Ulta CEO Mary Dillon and current leader Dave Kimbell, Haus was an integral part of Ulta Beauty’s success.

“Shelley’s passion, vision and love for her team and their work constantly inspired me, and her influence and creative spirit will be felt at Ulta Beauty for years to come,” said Kimbell. “While it doesn’t make this time any less difficult, I will always be grateful to have known Shelley for nearly 20 years, both as a valued business partner and a dear friend. Together, the Ulta Beauty team will continue to do more good in the world in ways we know would make you proud. Our deepest condolences and support go out to her family.”

During his time at the retailer, Haus overhauled the marketing organization and profoundly evolved the brand and pushed the retailer’s purpose forward, a spokeswoman said.

In a statement, the company said: “She was an innovative marketer, a creative storyteller and a people-first leader who saw beautiful possibilities in everything and everyone.”

Tara Simon, global brand president for Too Faced, worked closely with Haus during her time at Ulta as senior vice president of merchandising. “Shelley was a force of nature and she had everything to back it up,” said Simon. “She was smart as a whip, quick-witted, a great listener, hyper-focused on vision and always able to put things into perspective with a certain levity. Shelley was fearless and she was always willing to roll up her sleeves. She was deeply committed, she was a great thought partner, and she inspired all of us to do better. Shelley Haus was truly one of a kind. The loss of her leaves a hole in our hearts.”

Maureen Kelly, founder and CEO of Tarte, called Haus an “incredible partner and creative dynamo.”

“I was very lucky to work alongside her all these years at Ulta and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from someone so passionate and talented,” said Kelly. “The world will not be the same without her.”

Haus is survived by her husband and children. The plans for a service could not be learned. Ulta said she will continue to support Youth Guidance, a nonprofit organization where Haus was an active board member.

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Source: wwd.com