David Kimbell

Former Chief Executive Officer & Director, Ulta Beauty

Search every verified David Kimbell interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. David Kimbell, CEO of Ulta Beauty, has discussed the company’s growth and strategy in several interviews. He stated that Ulta has grown to 1,300 stores and over $8 billion in sales, describing the company as the largest beauty retailer in the U.S. Kimbell noted that Ulta was founded on the insight that beauty retail was artificially divided by mass and prestige, and that the company brings together a complete assortment across price points. He emphasized that the company views e-commerce and physical stores as one integrated business, and said that when a store-only guest starts shopping online, their total spend increases two and a half times. Kimbell also highlighted the company’s partnership with Target, with 100 Ulta Beauty locations inside Target stores, and said the company could reach up to 1,700 standalone Ulta stores in the U.S. Kimbell has addressed operational challenges and company culture. In a December 2023 interview, he stated that Ulta was “staffed and ready to go” for the holiday season, attributing the company’s ability to attract and retain talent to its culture. He described the rise in retail theft as the biggest challenge facing the company, citing organized retail crime and the ease of distribution through online marketplaces. Kimbell has also discussed the company’s efforts to support emerging brands through programs like Sparked and a Muse accelerator for BIPOC founders, and said the company works to amplify underrepresented voices in the beauty category.