Estée Lauder reshapes luxury beauty leadership as Sandra Main prepares to retire

The Estée Lauder Companies has announced a series of senior appointments across its luxury beauty portfolio ahead of Sandra Main’s retirement as Global Brand President, La Mer and Skin Care Brands.

Main will retire effective 31 December 2026, following a three-decade career with the company.

Justin Boxford will move into the newly created role of Global President, Luxury Beauty Brands, expanding his responsibilities to include La Mer alongside Estée Lauder, AERIN, Darphin Paris and Lab Series.

The move brings several of the group’s luxury skincare, make-up and fragrance businesses under Boxford’s leadership. He previously led La Mer between 2017 and 2022, before taking charge of Estée Lauder as Global Brand President.

Justin Boxford, Erica Kwok and Magalie Parksuwan

Elsewhere, Erica Kwok will become Senior Vice President and General Manager of Estée Lauder. She brings over two decades of experience in the beauty industry, including 15 years with the Estée Lauder brand.

Meanwhile, Magalie Parksuwan will continue as Senior Vice President and General Manager of La Mer, reporting directly to Boxford.

Her remit will also expand to include oversight of Darphin Paris and Lab Series, supporting Pierre-Olivier Garcin, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the luxury skincare brands. 

Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer at The Estée Lauder Companies, said the appointments demonstrated the depth of the group’s internal leadership pipeline and its focus on developing talent from within.

The appointments come after The Estée Lauder Companies reported a 5% rise in annual net sales to $15 billion for the year ended 30 June 2026.

Skincare sales increased 4%, supported by growth from La Mer, The Ordinary and Estée Lauder. La Mer’s recent activity included the fourth-quarter launch of its Balancing Infused Emulsion.

The group is pursuing its Beauty Reimagined strategy, which includes a target of up to $1.2 billion in annual cost savings.

Last week, the company appointed Kathleen Mitchell to lead a newly created London-based haircare hub, with a focus on sharpening its regional focus and reigniting growth in the category.