Maesa ropes in Molly Kennedy to spearhead Kristin Ess Hair

Beauty incubator Maesa, a Bain portfolio company, has announced the appointment of Molly Kennedy as its new VP, marketing, Kristin Ess Hair, and other brands including Koze Place.

“I am very excited to welcome Molly to Maesa. Her experience in building purpose-driven brands will be instrumental in elevating our brands’ position within the industry and achieving further success with our consumers and retail partners alike,” said Piyush Jain, Maesa CEO.

Kennedy, the company said in a statement, spent 13 years at Unilever building a legacy of impactful work including driving exponential growth for Dove Men+Care through global innovation in personal care and launching the brand’s purpose of championing paternity leave. In addition, she spearheaded Dove’s Courage is Beautiful and the Crown Act programs. She also led lip care innovation strategy and implementation for Vaseline globally.

The company added that reporting into Chief Brand Officer Oshiya Savur, Kennedy will focus on accelerating growth through strategic marketing initiatives for Kristin Ess Hair – the first and still the only female hairstylist founded brand in mass, and Koze Place – a home fragrance that has become one of the most beloved brands at Dollar General in less than a year since its launch in February 2023.

“I feel privileged to lead Kristin Ess Hair, Koze Place and other Maesa brands to a turbocharged growth trajectory, working closely with our internal teams and retailers, and bringing together my legacy of driving brand purpose and marketing rigour,” added Molly Kennedy.