The Estée Lauder Companies. has appointed Karen Housman as Senior Vice President/General Manager, TR APAC, effective July 1, 2022. Housman will report directly to Javier Simon, President, Commercial, Travel Retail Worldwide and will be based in Singapore.
In her new role, Housman will be responsible for driving growth and profitability within ELC’s Travel Retail business across Asia Pacific. She will oversee a strong portfolio of brands and a seasoned team.
“With over 20 years’ experience in the beauty industry in both Travel Retail and local markets, her deep knowledge of luxury skin care and fragrance, store design, sales, and marketing, along with her keen understanding of international business and of our key Asian consumers, Karen is uniquely positioned to lead Travel Retail’s APAC region to continued success,” said Israel Assa, Global President, Travel Retail Worldwide ELC.
A current member of Travel Retail’s Leadership Team, Housman most recently has been SVP/GM, La Mer and Le Labo, Travel Retail Worldwide based in New York, NY. Since joining The Estée Lauder Companies’ Travel Retail division in January 2017, this brand portfolio has undergone “phenomenal acceleration and growth,” with La Mer reaching the #4 ranking in the Skin Care category.
Housman also spearheaded the introduction of Le Labo in several key locations in the Middle East, North America, Asia and the UK, translating the brand’s unique story into a Travel Retail environment. Capitalizing on the rising consumer demand for luxury artisanal fragrance, Le Labo’s curated distribution strategy in Travel Retail has resulted in exponential growth, making it one of the fastest growing brands in ELC’s portfolio in Travel Retail, reports the company.
Housman is also a Sustainability Champion within Travel Retail, and as an advocate for women’s rights, she sits on Vital Voices Global Partnership’s New York City Council.
Prior to joining Travel Retail with The Estée Lauder Companies, Housman was VP of Marketing at AmorePacific U.S. as well as spending 16 years with Chanel in various marketing management roles both in the U.S. and Asia.
“Karen is a highly respected professional across the beauty industry with a track record of building innovative teams who continually set the bar for excellence,” said Javier Simon, ELC President, Commercial, Travel Retail Worldwide. “In addition, with her strong retailer relation-ships and deep understanding of consumer behavior, I look forward to seeing how she will steer the Travel Retail Asia Pacific region to capture the next generation of growth.”
