Sally Beauty is proud to welcome Brenda Rutenber, Group Vice President of Stores, and announce the promotion of Maryann Herskowitz to Group Vice President of Merchandising. These two moves are part of the company’s efforts to evolve the in-store experience to an integrated omni-channel experience while continuing to strengthen Sally Beauty’s assortment within the core focus areas of Hair Color, Hair Care, and Nails.
Rutenber joins Sally Beauty as a seasoned leader in building engaged teams that are known for delivering brand growth through exceptional customer service. In her past roles, she oversaw the transformation of in-store to omni-channel shopping experiences across the apparel and furniture industries, an expertise she will bring to Sally Beauty. In her new role, Rutenber will continue to innovate Sally Beauty’s strategy, creating new tools and resources that provide shoppers with more personal touchpoints and a true omni-channel shopping experience. Rutenber will work closely with merchandising and field teams to ensure that the right mix of products are available in the right channels, in-store and online. Prior to joining Sally Beauty, Rutenber served as Senior Vice President of Associate and Customer Experience at Hanna Anderson, a children’s lifestyle and clothing brand. In this role, she led various internal and external teams, supported the brand’s digital transformation, led DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and spearheaded initiatives to drive customer and associate engagement. Earlier in her career, Rutenber held store operations leadership roles at LOFT, Fresh Produce Clothing, and Baker Furniture.
“There is so much energy, excitement, and dedication from the entire team to provide an experience that supports the customer where and how they want to shop today,” said Rutenber. “The investment in technology and DIY education offers everything our shoppers need to confidently color and care for their hair and nails. An impressive amount of work is underway and I am thrilled to be part of this incredibly talented team and company.”
In addition, Sally Beauty continues to invest in its merchandising strategy through the internal promotion of Herskowitz to Group Vice President of Merchandising (she was previously Vice President of Merchandising). She first joined Sally Beauty in 2018 as Vice President of Hair Color and Hair Care, before expanding to all of Sally Beauty Merchandising in early 2020. In her new role, she is responsible for driving Sally Beauty’s category leadership in at-home hair color forward by continuing to focus on understanding the customer’s unique needs and further building the retailer’s owned brand portfolio. Herskowitz has brought strategic value to Sally Beauty’s product assortment in four key areas: increasing assortment of ‘better for you’ brands that offer sustainable benefits; growing the portfolio to include more than 50 Black-founded brands that cater to textured hair needs; driving customer loyalty through the expansion of Sally Beauty-owned brands such as Ion; and driving leadership in vivid hair colors to acquire and grow a younger, loyal customer base.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brenda to our team and continue watching Maryann excel here at Sally Beauty. Both additions to our senior leadership team are strategic investments that allow us to continue innovating around both in-store and digital shopping experiences. They will take us to the next level in our drive for a digital environment that operates seamlessly and continues to solidify our position as the retail leader in DIY Hair Color, Care and Nails,” said Chris Brickman, Chief Executive Officer of Sally Beauty Holdings.
