Shiseido Americas Names Ron Gee President and CEO

Ron Gee has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Shiseido Americas, effective July 1.

In the role, Gee is tasked with driving Shiseido Americas’ strategic vision, including strengthening the region’s operational structure and optimizing operations, the company said. He will also oversee the U.S.-based brand portfolio, including BareMinerals, Buxom, Drunk Elephant, Laura Mercier, Nars and Tory Burch Beauty. Gee will continue to lead global mergers and acquisitions for Shiseido.

Gee has been serving as Shiseido Americas’ chief financial officer since 2016, and has been serving as interim CEO since former Shiseido Americas CEO Marc Rey resigned in 2020. Gee will report to Masahiko Uotani, president and group CEO of Shiseido Co. Ltd.

In the role, Gee takes over a business that has struggled recently, due in part to the coronavirus pandemic. Sales for 2020 in the Americas business dropped by 25.7 percent, to 91.41 billion yen, or about $837 million.

Shiseido Americas plans to appoint a CFO replacement soon, the company said.

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“During his time as CFO and more recently as interim CEO of the Americas, Ron has indisputably earned his reputation as a keen business leader, collaborative team builder, skilled problem solver and invaluable partner,” said Uotani in a statement. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he has shown remarkable leadership in a time of crisis, protecting our business in the region while continuing to drive our ongoing digital transformation.”

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“Since joining the company as CFO five years ago, I have developed a deep respect for Shiseido’s commitment to quality, to innovation, to our consumers and most importantly, to all of our people,” Gee said in a statement. “At Shiseido Americas, I have experienced first-hand the dedication and passion of the organization that I now have the privilege to lead, and I am more motivated than ever to continue the important work we do every day. With the support of my executive leadership, I look forward to building on the success of the Americas region to become even stronger as we position ourselves to in in a post-pandemic landscape.”

Before joining Shiseido, Gee was CFO fo the Americas at Coty. He has also worked at L’Oréal USA.

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