TOKYO & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shiseido Company, Limited, a leading global beauty company, announced today that as part of its future strategy to realize sustainable growth, the company has decided to establish a Chief Growth Officer role. Effective, January 1st, 2019, Shiseido Americas President and CEO Marc Rey will assume the position of Chief Growth Officer of Shiseido Company, Limited. In addition to his current responsibilities, Mr. Rey will also oversee global M & A for the company in collaboration with the company’s headquarters in Tokyo. Further, the newly established Technology Acceleration Hub based in Cambridge, Massachusetts will also report to Mr. Rey. Shiseido’s strengthened focus on external growth strategies and technology will build on the company’s storied legacy of innovation. Mr. Rey will continue to report to Masahiko Uotani, President and CEO of Shiseido.

In his expanded role, Mr. Rey will continue to identify opportunities for growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, to ensure growth remains at the core of the company’s present and future strategies. To support Mr. Rey in his additional role, Ron Gee, Chief Financial Officer of Shiseido Americas, has been named Global M&A Leader for Shiseido. He will oversee a newly-established global M&A team to support the company’s acquisition strategy across all geographies and categories including emerging technologies in cooperation with the company’s Tokyo headquarters. Mr. Gee will continue to report to Mr. Rey and will work to build on the momentum created during the past few years during which time the company has been active in M & A.

Shiseido today also announced the establishment of a new Technology Acceleration Hub based in Cambridge, Massachusetts dedicated to creating new disruptive models for consumer engagement and intimacy. The Technology Acceleration Hub, which will support new technological innovation efforts across the company and its global brand portfolio, will be led by seasoned technology executive and entrepreneur Jim Mainard. Previously Executive Vice President of Digital Strategy and New Business Development at DreamWorks Animation, Mr. Mainard will join Shiseido Americas as President of the Technology Acceleration Hub on November 12th. He will also work closely with the company’s Digital Center of Excellence in New York City and the Global Innovation Center based in Japan, to maximize the ecosystem and intersection of digital, innovation and technology within the company. Mr. Mainard will also report to Mr. Rey.

Masahiko Uotani, President and CEO of Shiseido, said, “Shiseido is in the second phase of our VISION 2020 strategy, and we remain firmly committed to global growth in our portfolio through digital acceleration, new business development and new value creation through innovation, acquisitions and partnerships. During his tenure, Marc has led, with great success, acquisitions in both technology and traditional beauty which are helping to pave the way for Shiseido’s future growth toward 2020 and beyond. With Marc as Chief Growth Officer, we are ensuring that sustained growth remains at the forefront of our company’s strategy. With the support of a global M&A group headed by Ron, we are squarely focused on putting external growth at the core of our business strategy in the near and long term. I am confident that with this dedicated team in place, Shiseido will successfully enter the next chapter of our transformation. I’m also pleased to have Jim Mainard lead our Technology Acceleration Hub. Jim’s valuable expertise and experience will help us define how we build technology as a competitive advantage. I look forward to seeing the great impact this team has moving forward.”

Marc Rey, CEO of Shiseido Americas and Shiseido Chief Growth Officer, said, “There has never been a more exciting time in the beauty industry. A strong M&A strategy with continued development of new technologies is what keeps growth sustainable. Indeed, engagement and intimacy with the consumer will bring long-term value to the Group. This enhanced structure, with M & A and technology as our key enablers, will help us to more proactively seek new business partnerships, while keeping technological innovation at the core of everything we do. I am honored to spearhead these important growth strategies and continue building on the momentum Uotani-san has created over the past few years, harnessing the potential of emerging technologies, business models and brands. The very definition of beauty is being reinvented, and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of these transformations, helping to define the future of beauty.”

In addition to his new responsibilities as Chief Growth Officer, Mr. Rey will continue as global brandholder for the NARS, Laura Mercier and bareMinerals brands, in addition to leading Shiseido’s commercial business in the Americas, and overseeing Shiseido’s Centers of Excellence for Makeup and Digital.

About Shiseido Company, Limited

Shiseido was founded in 1872 as the first Western-style pharmacy in Japan. The business gradually evolved into a cosmetics company, offering people the most advanced technology and the finest aesthetics available in the East or the West. Now, known globally as the premier cosmetics company with roots in Japan the name Shiseido has come to represent the world’s highest standard of quality in beauty. Shiseido’s global selection of skincare, makeup and fragrance includes a high-performance category for special skincare, and a brightening line. Shiseido offers products for professional beauty salons and hairdressers, as well as body care, suncare and a skincare line for men. Fiercely contemporary and innovative with over 140 years in business, the Shiseido group brands are now sold in over 120 countries. For more information, please visit http://shiseidogroup.com/.