Colin Walsh to Step Down as CEO of P&G’s Specialty Beauty Division

Procter & Gamble’s Specialty Beauty division has a new chief executive officer.

Colin Walsh, who has held the position since July 2023, is stepping down effective Aug. 1. He will be succeeded by John Brownlee, who will assume the role while continuing in his current post as senior vice president, North America hair care, at the personal care giant.

Walsh could not immediately be reached for comment regarding his next steps following his departure from the company.

Prior to becoming CEO of P&G’s Specialty Beauty division, Walsh served as CEO of Ouai beginning in 2018. Founded by Jen Atkin, the hair care brand marked one of P&G’s first specialty beauty acquisitions; it was snapped up in 2021 for an undisclosed sum shortly after P&G’s acquisition of Farmacy, and just before the company acquired Tula Skincare in 2022.

Prior to his tenure at Ouai, Walsh served as CEO of DevaCurl and before that, held senior leadership roles at L’Oréal-owned Matrix and Redken, respectively. Last year, he and his brother, Ryan Lietar, teamed with Tula founder Dr. Roshini Raj to cofound a direct-to-consumer gut health brand, YayDay. Meant to boost digestion and sleep, the brand debuted with a Super Digestive Daily Supplement powder retailing for $60 for a 30-day supply or $25 for seven single-serving sachets.

“Being part of the creation and early development of Specialty Beauty has been a tremendous opportunity and will always be deeply meaningful to me,” said Walsh in a statement. “I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned during my time with P&G and for the opportunities I’ve had to impact the growth and direction of this business, and especially coaching and empowering the talented and inspiring teams of Specialty Beauty.”

Brownlee, a longtime P&G executive, held roles across the conglomerate’s oral care, skin care and professional hair care categories prior taking the helm of the North America hair care division in 2020. During his tenure, P&G added hair care brand Mielle Organics to its portfolio, which also includes Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders, Native and Pantene.

“Working with and learning from Colin across these past years has been fun, engaging and a genuine privilege,” Brownlee said in a statement. “I’m excited to pick up the baton from him and look forward to working more closely with these brands and teams. I’m especially energized to build onto what makes Specialty Beauty’s brands uniquely relevant to their consumers.”

In the 2024 iteration of WWD Beauty Inc’s ranking of the top 100 beauty manufacturers globally, P&G maintained the number-four spot, netting an estimated $15 billion in total beauty sales, roughly flat versus the year prior.