Liberty promotes former Coty CMO to head up marketing and LBTY beauty proposition

Laura Simpson has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer at Liberty, a position she will hold alongside her existing role as Managing Director of LBTY, the retailer's beauty proposition.

In her new and expanded role, Simpson will lead Liberty's overarching brand, marketing and customer strategy across the Group, while continuing to drive the growth and development of LBTY.

Under her leadership, the retailer's dedicated beauty destination has already delivered significant growth, expanded its brand portfolio and strengthened Liberty's position as a destination for beauty discovery, expertise and innovation, according to the luxury department store.

Laura Simpson, CMO at Liberty

Simpson initially joined Liberty to launch and lead LBTY in 2022, following stints as CMO at both haircare company Wella and Coty. Prior to this, she spent more than 18 years in senior leadership positions at consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble.

The appointment reflects Liberty's continued investment in brand building, customer experience and long-term growth, as the business looks to strengthen its position across retail, beauty and luxury lifestyle, Liberty said.

Simpson said: "Liberty has always stood for creativity, discovery and individuality, and I am incredibly proud to take on this expanded role. Having launched LBTY and seen the strong response from customers, I am excited to help shape the next chapter of growth for both the beauty business and the wider Liberty brand. There is a tremendous opportunity to continue building meaningful connections with our customers while celebrating everything that makes Liberty such a unique destination."

Adil Mehboob-Khan, Chief Executive Officer at Liberty, added: "Laura has been instrumental in the successful launch and growth of LBTY, demonstrating an exceptional ability to combine commercial performance with brand-building and customer engagement. As we look to the future, her expanded role will be critical in ensuring we continue to strengthen Liberty's position as one of the world's most distinctive retail destinations. I am delighted to welcome Laura to her broader role and look forward to seeing her continue to drive the business forward."

This marks the third senior leadership change at Liberty since the beginning of the year.

In January the luxury department store appointed Lydia King as Managing Director of Retail, succeeding Sarah Coonan. In the role she is responsible for Liberty’s buying and merchandising functions, as well as oversight of the Liberty flagship store.

The same month, Liberty also appointed Alex Pregnolato as its new Chief Financial Officer. Pregnolato previously held the position of CFO at both De Beers and Versace Americas.

Both appointments reflect Liberty's ongoing ambitions to expand its international reach while remaining rooted in its heritage of creativity, curation and cultural relevance.