Former Pier 1 exec to lead Sally Beauty

Sally Beauty Holdings is turning to a 25-year retail veteran to help the company boost sales and drive growth.



Sharon M. Leite has been appointed president of the Sally Beauty Supply LLC, U.S. and Canada business, effective Feb. 1.



“Sharon is a dynamic executive with deep retail experience,” said Chris Brickman, president and CEO of Sally Beauty Holdings. “She brings a keen understanding of customer engagement and a proven track record of building and driving sales in a demanding retail environment. I am confident that her consumer-led approach will accelerate our progress in becoming the leading provider of salon quality products in the retail sector. Under Sharon’s leadership, and with the help from our talented team of retail executives at Sally, we believe the team can take the business to the next level of growth and performance.”



Prior to joining Sally Beauty, Leite, 53, held various executive leadership roles since 2007 at Pier 1 Imports, Inc. as an executive VP. She led that company’s sales & customer experience strategy with over 20,000 field associates in over 1,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. In addition her responsibilities included e-commerce, operations & real estate. Prior to joining Pier 1 Imports, Leite served as VP, sales & associate marketing (2007), VP, store operations (2001-2006) and director, store operations & sales support (1999-2001), of Bath and Body Works, LLC, an international retailer specializing in bath and beauty products.



“It is an honor to be named President of Sally Beauty,” Leite said. “Sally Beauty has taken great strides to articulate its value proposition to the consumer and improve the in-store shopping experience, resulting in a strong foundation for continued success. I look forward to working with the Sally Beauty executive team and store team. I share their passion for superior customer service and support their initiatives already underway. Given the company's long-term history in a very resilient industry, I have great confidence that we can continue our growth trajectory and succeed.”



Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. sells and distributes through approximately 5,000 stores, including approximately 175 franchised units, throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Chile, Peru, Colombia, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ireland, Spain and Germany.