Thursday, September 17, 2026Independent, original journalismSome links are advertising or affiliate links. How we make money
Independent reviews, guides and reporting.
★0saved articles
Beauty
News
Estee Lauder Shuffles Leadership at La Mer and Its Namesake Brand as Sandra Main Retires
Justin Boxford adds La Mer to an already-expanding portfolio of luxury brands, while a new general manager takes over day-to-day leadership at the Estee Lauder brand.
By THRYV Life Desk·Published September 9, 2026·Updated September 9, 2026·3 min read
Beauty · Illustration commissioned for THRYV. Photography is replaced with original imagery as each story is produced.
The takeaway
Estee Lauder Companies announced that Sandra Main, longtime global brand president of La Mer, is retiring. Justin Boxford, who previously led La Mer before running the Estee Lauder brand, expands his role to oversee La Mer, Estee Lauder, AERIN, Darphin Paris, and Lab Series, while Erica Kwok becomes general manager of the Estee Lauder brand.
Estee Lauder Companies announced that Sandra Main, global brand president of La Mer and its skin care brands, is retiring, triggering a reshuffle of leadership across several of the company's luxury brands.
Who's taking over
Justin Boxford, who led La Mer from 2017 to 2022 before moving to run the Estee Lauder brand, is expanding his role to Global President of Luxury Beauty Brands, a portfolio that now includes La Mer, Estee Lauder, AERIN, Darphin Paris, and Lab Series.
Erica Kwok, who has more than 20 years in the beauty industry including 15 years at Estee Lauder, was named senior vice president and general manager of the Estee Lauder brand. Magalie Parksuwan continues as senior vice president and general manager of La Mer, now also overseeing Darphin Paris and Lab Series, and will report to Boxford.
These appointments reflect the exceptional strength of our leadership bench and our deep commitment to developing world-class talent from within.
Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Estee Lauder Companies Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer
The company didn't specify effective dates for the new roles. La Mer remains the company's top-selling luxury skin care brand, making leadership continuity there a closely watched signal for investors tracking Estee Lauder's broader turnaround effort.
Why it matters
Leadership stability at flagship brands like La Mer is one of several signals investors and industry watchers use to gauge whether Estee Lauder's multi-year turnaround plan is on track.
Sources
This article is original writing by THRYV. We link to primary reporting and official documents rather than reproducing them.
Written and edited in-house by the THRYV Life Desk. We do not republish or reword agency copy, and we do not invent quotes, statistics, testimonials or ratings. Where figures move frequently, we point you to the primary release rather than printing a number that will be out of date. Advertising and affiliate partnerships have no influence on our reporting — see our editorial standards, fact-checking policy and affiliate disclosure. Spotted an error? Write to newsroom@thryv-news.com.
General information only. Not personalised financial, medical or legal advice.
The National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance now covers foundations, concealers, and primers for the first time, starting with four brands that passed clinical patch testing.
The beauty giant beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter forecasts and issued upbeat fiscal 2027 guidance, capping a restructuring that cut about 10,000 positions.
