The Interview in partnership with CEW: Gisou CCO Emma Bunyard on navigating growth, change and leadership in beauty

In this exclusive interview series in partnership with CEW, we'll feature one of CEW UK's executive board members to gain insights into their careers and views on what being a business leader in today's beauty industry means to them.

Emma Bunyard joined honey-infused beauty brand Gisou in January 2025 as Managing Director International, before stepping into the role of Chief Commercial Officer a year later. She brought with her almost seven years of experience at Charlotte Tilbury, most recently as General Manager UK & Pureplay, alongside previous roles at Hasbro, Gü Puds and Innocent Drinks.

In this interview with TheIndustry.beauty, Bunyard shares her perspective on the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the beauty sector today, the key lessons and experiences she has brought to Gisou, and how the industry can better encourage the next generation to pursue entrepreneurship and senior leadership positions.

Have you always had an interest in the beauty industry? Why does it appeal to you and why did you want to work within it?  

Beauty has always appealed to me, although I didn't start my career in the industry. Throughout my career, I've been drawn to brands that genuinely resonate with me and have a strong emotional connection with consumers. Whether it was Innocent Drinks, Gü Puds, or My Little Pony, I've always wanted to work with brands that I personally believed in and enjoyed representing.

My move into beauty came through a very authentic experience. I had my makeup done at a Charlotte Tilbury counter for my wedding when the brand was still relatively young. I was incredibly impressed by not only the quality and ease of the products but also by the customer experience and the confidence it gave me. That interaction left a lasting impression and made me fall in love with the brand.

What has kept me passionate about beauty is the combination of innovation, creativity and strong leadership. I particularly value how the industry celebrates smart, ambitious and entrepreneurial women; like Demetra Pinsent, who was my CEO at Charlotte Tilbury. Before joining, I worried the industry might be highly competitive in a negative sense, but my experience has been the opposite. Within scaling brands, I've found a collaborative environment where people genuinely support one another, share advice, and want to see each other succeed.

I love being part of an industry where founders, leaders and teams are so open to learning from each other, and where there is a real sense of community. That's something I've continued to value throughout my career in beauty and a big reason why I'm so passionate about the sector today.

CEW UK promotes the British beauty industry, why is this important? What do you think sets the British beauty industry apart from other markets worldwide? 

What Sallie Berkerey and the CEW team have built is a genuinely supportive community. They've helped create an environment where people are encouraged to learn from one another, celebrate success, and support the next generation of talent. I think that's played an important role in making the beauty industry an even more attractive and rewarding place to build a career.

When I think about the British beauty industry more broadly, it's a particularly exciting and distinctive market. Compared with many international markets that are often dominated by specialist beauty retailers, the UK has a diverse retail landscape. We have luxury department stores such as Harrods, Selfridges and John Lewis sitting alongside powerful mass retailers such as Boots, as well as an exceptionally strong e-commerce and pure-play environment.

That diversity creates both opportunity and complexity. Brands need to be able to operate across multiple channels, reach different consumer segments, and adapt to varying shopping behaviours. It also means the UK consumer is incredibly knowledgeable, engaged, and willing to discover new brands and concepts.

What I particularly admire about the UK beauty market is its inclusivity and openness to innovation. Consumers are highly informed, they're interested in product efficacy, brand purpose and storytelling, and they're often early adopters of new trends. This creates a dynamic environment where brands have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with consumers while continuing to innovate and grow.

What do you think are the biggest opportunities and challenges in the beauty sector today? 

I think there are a number of significant challenges facing the beauty industry today, but I genuinely believe that every challenge presents an opportunity for brands that are willing to adapt and innovate.

One of the biggest shifts we're seeing is the impact of AI and the changing media landscape. Consumers are engaging with content differently than ever before, and attention spans are becoming increasingly short. Brands have only a matter of seconds to capture interest, communicate a message, and drive action. Simply doing what everyone else is doing isn't enough anymore, it gets lost in the noise. The opportunity lies in finding new ways to engage consumers, creating meaningful experiences, and using technology to build deeper, more personalised relationships.

Another challenge is the broader macroeconomic and geopolitical environment. Over the last few years, businesses have had to navigate significant uncertainty, whether that's supply chain disruption, inflationary pressures, changes in global trade, or wider geopolitical events. These factors inevitably impact costs, consumer confidence, and business planning. However, they also create opportunities for agile businesses that can adapt quickly, manage risk effectively, and continue investing in the areas that matter most to consumers.

Consumer expectations have also changed dramatically. Today's beauty consumer is incredibly informed and has more choice than ever before. The barriers to entry within beauty have reduced, leading to an explosion of new brands entering the market. Competition is therefore more intense, but consumers are benefiting from greater innovation and diversity.

At the same time, consumers expect much more from the brands they purchase. They want efficacy, transparency, and authenticity. They're increasingly educated on ingredients and formulations, and they expect brands to demonstrate clear commitments around sustainability, cruelty-free practices, responsible sourcing, and ethical business operations. Consumers can access information instantly and often have unprecedented visibility into supply chains, so brands must ensure that their values and actions align.

I also see diversity and inclusion as both an opportunity and an expectation. Consumers want to see themselves represented, whether that's through product development, marketing, shade ranges, campaigns, or brand storytelling. The brands that genuinely understand and serve diverse consumer needs will continue to build stronger and more meaningful connections.

Ultimately, I think the biggest opportunity for beauty brands is to remain relentlessly consumer-centric. The businesses that will win are those that can combine innovation, authenticity, agility, and strong execution. They will use technology intelligently, adapt to changing consumer behaviours, embrace diversity, and continue to deliver products and experiences that genuinely add value.

What key skills do you need to have as a leader today, in general and in beauty? 

I believe that one of the most important qualities a leader can have - whether in beauty or any industry, is empathy. The ability to genuinely listen, understand different perspectives, and make people feel heard is critical. Even when I don't agree with someone's viewpoint, I think it's important to reflect back on what I've heard, demonstrate understanding, and then share my own perspective in a constructive way.

Alongside empathy, great leadership requires clarity. People perform at their best when they understand the purpose behind what they're doing, where the business is trying to get to, and the key strategic levers that will help us move from A to B. A leader's role is to translate that strategy into something simple, actionable, and motivating for their teams.

I'm also a strong believer that culture drives performance. When people feel supported, valued, and able to bring their best selves to work, they deliver their best results. I've never believed leadership is about telling people what to do. Instead, it's about creating an environment where people want to work alongside you, feel ownership of the outcomes, and are empowered to contribute.

Continuous improvement is essential. We should always be looking at how we can optimise, learn, and do things better. However, in fast-paced businesses there's a tendency to move straight from one challenge to the next without recognising what's been achieved along the way. Celebrating success is just as important as reviewing performance. Encourage people to pause, reflect, and acknowledge their achievements.

Recently, I read a book that highlighted the idea that the average person only has around 4,000 weeks in their lifetime. It really resonated with me as a leader because it reinforced the importance of helping people make the most of their time. We all spend a significant proportion of our lives at work, so I believe leaders have a responsibility to create an environment where people can grow, achieve meaningful goals, and feel that their time is being invested in something worthwhile.

Finally, another principle I strongly believe in, particularly within scale-up businesses, is balancing short-term impact with long-term sustainability. It's easy in high-growth environments to focus solely on what's going to drive results this quarter, but great leaders make decisions that deliver today while also standing the test of time.

Why is it important that people pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in their careers?  

I believe entrepreneurship and leadership are very personal journeys, and it's important to recognise that not everyone needs to pursue the same career path to be successful. In any business, there are typically two equally valuable types of people. First, there are individuals who are exceptional at what they do and derive fulfilment from becoming true experts in their field. They may not aspire to senior leadership, and that's absolutely fine. Businesses need deep expertise just as much as they need leaders.

The second group are those who are motivated by building, leading and creating change. They want to take on broader responsibility, influence business direction, and generate new ideas and opportunities. Those individuals often demonstrate strong entrepreneurial instincts, regardless of whether they're founders or employees.

I also think the importance of entrepreneurship varies depending on the environment. In larger, more established organisations, there is often greater emphasis on specialisation, process, and becoming a master of your craft. In contrast, within scale-up businesses, entrepreneurship is critical. Leaders need to constantly assess how we can improve efficiency, scale effectively, identify new opportunities, and anticipate risks before they become challenges.

For me, entrepreneurship isn't simply about having ideas. It's about being comfortable with ambiguity, embracing change, challenging the status quo, and taking accountability for outcomes. It's about looking beyond your immediate role and asking, 'How can we make this better?'

That's why I see entrepreneurial thinking as a key attribute of senior leaders. The best leaders are curious, adaptable, and willing to challenge established ways of working. They don't wait for perfect conditions; they identify opportunities, bring people with them, and turn ideas into action.

Ultimately, great businesses need both types of people: experts who provide depth and consistency, and entrepreneurial leaders who drive growth and transformation. The key is creating an environment where both can thrive and where individuals are able to pursue the path that best aligns with their strengths, ambitions, and values.

How can people be encouraged to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in their careers?  

If you've decided that entrepreneurship or senior leadership is a path you want to pursue, my biggest piece of advice is to first understand what genuinely motivates you. Find what lights your fire - what you're passionate about, what energises you, and what you naturally gravitate towards. In my experience, people are always at their best when they're doing something they genuinely care about.

Once you've found that passion, invest in it. Build expertise around it, develop your skills, and use it as a platform to accelerate your career. Authenticity matters. When you truly believe in what you're doing, people can see it. You communicate with more conviction, build stronger relationships, and are naturally more effective.

The second thing I would say is to actively seek feedback and be open to it. For me, that's one of the most important traits of successful leaders. You don't have to agree with every piece of feedback you receive, but you should always listen to it with an open mind. Ask for specific examples, take time to reflect, and decide what you can learn from it.

Finally, embrace change. Change is inevitable, particularly in today's business environment. Markets evolve, consumer expectations evolve, technology evolves, and businesses evolve. The pace of that change is only accelerating. The leaders who thrive are those who remain curious, adaptable, and willing to learn.

Looking back on your journey to Gisou, what key lessons and experiences did you bring into the role and what ambitions did you set for yourself when you joined? Which of those ambitions have you already achieved and what remains on the horizon? 

What I’ve really taken with me throughout my career are a few leadership lessons that have consistently made the biggest difference.

The first is the power of building a great team. From day one, I believe you should build the senior leadership team you’d be proud to leave behind. That might sound unusual, but change is a natural part of any career. The real test of leadership is whether your team can continue to thrive, and even become stronger, without you.

The second is the importance of getting the basics right. Strong foundations matter. That means establishing clear processes, structure, governance, and financial discipline early on. When those fundamentals are in place, they give you the freedom to be more creative, move faster, and pursue bigger opportunities with confidence.

The third lesson is about execution. Strategy is essential because it gives everyone a shared direction, but a strategy only creates value if it’s implemented. I always encourage teams to be relentless in execution, to be, as I like to say, “a dog with a bone”. Get crystal clear on the priorities, commit to the actions, and then follow through.

A wonderful past CEO, also taught me the power of three. There will always be an endless list of opportunities, but identifying the three initiatives that will have the greatest impact helps create focus and momentum across the business.

In addition, one of the biggest areas I’ve really refined here at Gisou is the power of EMV. There’s something unique about the way credible content and aspirational, engaging content work together. When those two elements are balanced, they create a powerful flywheel that builds brand equity, drives earned media value, and is amplified even further.

Looking ahead, this is an exceptional brand which will not only be the number one hair brand, but ultimately one of the world’s leading total beauty brands. We’ll continue to build from our strength in care, ensuring everything we do remains both highly credible and deeply engaging for our community.

Alongside that, my focus is on building a truly world-class team. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has already achieved, and together we’ll continue to accelerate our growth and unlock the next chapter of the brand’s global journey.