Bare Escentuals Names Cowell CEO

Bare Escentuals has named Simon Cowell chief executive officer. Prior to this appointment, he was the brand’s chief marketing officer. Cowell replaces Myles McCormick, who had assumed the role after Shiseido acquired Bare Escentuals in 2010 for $1.8 billion.


In the CEO role, Cowell will be responsible for overseeing corporate strategy for the company’s brand portfolio, which includes Bare Minerals, Buxom and MD Formulations.


The appointment is effective immediately.


McCormick had joined Bare Escentuals as chief financial officer in 2004, when the company was readying itself for its 2006 initial public offering, adding duties as chief operating officer a short time later. He is credited with leading the company through the acquisition and integration, as well as the launch of Bare Minerals Ready, the company’s newest cosmetics line.



Cowell joined Bare Escentuals in 2008, after spending 15 years at The Body Shop. While he joined the company in a merchandising role, he soon became vice president of marketing, then senior vice president, and was named chief marketing officer in 2010. In the cmo role, he was credited with defining the company’s marketing model, developing the brand’s first global advertising campaign and implementing a long-term innovation pipeline.



Bare Escentuals is currently available in more than 6,000 doors in 31 countries, including about 200 company-owned boutiques. Globally, the company is preparing to make a major push into Asia — which includes a line specifically formulated for Asian skin, which bows in Japan in March. It also is planning for a May launch of Bare Minerals in Brazil. With retailer Sephora, the brand is now available in Mexico and Southeast Asia, among other markets.