Former Estée Lauder executive John Demsey is no longer advising Gap Inc. as executive director of beauty, the retailer acknowledged in a statement to Retail Dive on Friday.
“John brought tremendous beauty expertise, creative vision and brand-building experience to Gap Inc., helping shape our beauty strategy and define the opportunity across our portfolio,” the company said. “As we enter the next phase of growth and execution, we remain focused on building on this strong foundation and advancing our beauty strategy. We are grateful for John’s partnership and many contributions and wish him continued success.”
Gap Inc. did not respond to Retail Dive’s questions about the exact timing of Demsey’s departure or if there was an effort to backfill his role.
The move, first reported by Women’s Wear Daily, comes a little over a year since Gap Inc. announced the appointment of several new beauty and accessories leaders alongside Demsey. The retailer named former Nordstrom beauty merchant Deb Redmond as general manager of beauty, Michele Parsons as general manager of accessories and designer Reed Krakoff as executive director of accessories.
The Gap brand over the last year has begun investing in its historical fragrance business and expanding its fragrance offerings. Additionally, Old Navy debuted beauty and personal care products in stores.
