Kelly Mahoney on artificial intelligence
From CES 2026 Tech Innovators: Ulta Beauty CMO Kelly Mahoney · · Chief Marketer
“AI is not going to take your job. The person that can adapt to AI and leverage AI, that's who's going to take the job.”
On , Kelly Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer at Ulta Beauty, spoke about artificial intelligence during CES 2026 Tech Innovators: Ulta Beauty CMO Kelly Mahoney on Chief Marketer.
About Kelly Mahoney
Kelly Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer at Ulta Beauty, has been speaking at industry events including CES 2026, Cannes Lions 2025, and SXSW 2025 about the company's use of data and artificial intelligence. She stated that 95% of Ulta Beauty's sales come from members of its loyalty program, which she said has 46 million members. Mahoney described the company's approach to personalization as using AI to analyze customer data and provide product recommendations, and she noted that Ulta Beauty has been using AI since 2018. She also discussed lowering the minimum age for loyalty program membership to 13. Mahoney highlighted several marketing initiatives, including Ulta Beauty's first Super Bowl presence in 2025, which she described as an influencer-driven activation rather than a traditional advertisement. She also discussed a partnership with Beyoncé for the Cowboy Carter tour and the launch of Ulta Beauty World, an experiential retail space. Mahoney stated that the company's marketing strategy has shifted toward "motivation-based segmentation" rather than traditional demographics, and she emphasized that Ulta Beauty's approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion is "not an initiative" but "who we are."