The Body Shop appoints former L’Occitane president as Chief Commercial & Brand Officer

The Body Shop has named Alia Sirina Hawa as its new Chief Commercial & Brand Officer.

Hawa joins the British brand from L'Occitane Group, where she served as President Europe, Middle East and Export Markets until April 2025.

She previously joined the owner of L'Occitane en Provence, Elemis and Sol de Janeiro as Managing Director for the UK & Ireland in May 2019.

Prior to this, she was Senior Regional Brand Director EMEAI at Coach and held various roles at L'Occitane en Provence for more than 10 years.

In a post on LinkedIn, Hawa said: "I’m honoured to share that I’ve joined The Body Shop as Chief Commercial and Brand Officer. This is more than a new role - it’s the beginning of a purpose-led journey with a brand I’ve long admired for its unapologetic stand on what matters: activism, DE&I, empowerment, and human connection.

"The Body Shop has faced challenges in recent times - but today, with Aurea as new owners, it stands on a clean, solid foundation for a fresh start, renewed investment, and a return to growth."

The Body Shop was acquired by Aurea in 2024 by a consortium led by Mike Jatania. It had entered administration in February, leading to the closure of 82 stores and 489 job cuts across the UK.

Hawa joins at a pivotal time, following a year of "stabilisation and renewal" during which the Brighton-based company regained its footing and laid the groundwork for long-term success.

It comes shortly after Charles Denton, appointed CEO by Auréa last September to lead the brand’s turnaround, confirmed his departure last month.

Leadership will now transition to Executive Chairman Jatania, who has taken on expanded responsibilities to accelerate growth and guide the next phase of The Body Shop’s evolution.