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Kecia Steelman

President, Chief Executive Officer & Director, Ulta Beauty

Search every verified Kecia Steelman interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Kecia Steelman, president and chief executive officer of Ulta Beauty, delivered the keynote address at the Iowa Ideas 2026 conference on September 30, 2026. During the event, she discussed her career trajectory, which began at Target Corporation and included roles at Home Depot and Family Dollar before joining Ulta Beauty in 2014. Steelman, who was named CEO in January 2025, spoke about her Iowa roots and described herself as a "people-first leader," stating that the company's success depends on keeping guests and associates at the center of its operations. She also commented on how social media has changed the beauty industry, noting that consumers in rural and metropolitan areas now have similar access to trends. Steelman reflected on lessons learned throughout her career, including the importance of seeking to understand before drawing conclusions. She also shared personal anecdotes about receiving feedback, mentioning that she relies on family for support and tries to downplay her professional achievements when visiting her hometown.

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Notable quotes

“Well, we talk often, and I even say this with the investment community. It's like the success of our company is by keeping our guest, or another word for that is customers, so our guests and customers, and our associates at the center of everything we do. When we're focused on both, success happens. And I'm a people-first leader... It's like there is no successful plan that only focus on the numbers. If you only focu”

“I would say this. I mean, whether you're in LA or New York, the social media today has really changed the way that beauty is brought to everyone across the United States. And so, I think that people are just as much on trend today, whether you're in a metropolitan area or more rural parts of the United States, than we were before. But your question was asking me about when I was younger. I would say that I always fel”

“But, you know, retail is cyclical and recalls retail's in cycles. And I think, you know, part of a good leader what they do is you try things, you see them out, and then when it's time to pivot, you make those pivots as you need to. And uh in August, we'll be ending that partnership with Target. But I'm really glad we did it. We learned a lot along the way. I feel Target did also. And I think we're both going to be b”

“We operate as you mentioned 1500 over 1500 stores in the United States. Um we are now in six countries. uh when I joined when I jumped into the role as CEO, we were US-based only. Uh we made an acquisition in the UK. Uh we expanded through a partnership in Mexico and we have a a licensed partnership with Alshia in uh the Middle East. So, you know, it was time to pivot from the first 35 years of being only in the US t”

“I wouldn't say we're recession proof. I'd say we're more recession resistant because people are still going to want to take care of themselves.”

“The last thing that I ever want to do is not be a good partner to the brands because you can essentially bankrupt a brand if you grow it too quickly.”

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