As speculation continues to swirl over a potential Wella IPO, the company has made a big executive appointment. Former Lululemon boss Calvin McDonald has been named the company’s next chief executive officer, effective April 2. He will also be appointed to the company’s board of directors and will be based in New York. More from WWD Glenn Murphy, who has been helping the company in the interim, will remain executive chair. Murphy said of McDonald: “As a three-time CEO, he brings decades of experience a ...

Coty’s newly minted interim executive chairman and interim CEO Markus Strobel presented the company’s latest earnings to the market Thursday and stressed that there is much to be done to turn the company’s fortunes around. “It’s very clear to me that Coty has many top-notch assets and competitive advantages: highly attractive brands, best-in-class fragrance innovation capabilities, a vertically integrated business model, and a creative, entrepreneurial organization,” said Strobel, who was appointed interi ...

Core Viewpoint - Wella Company, owned by KKR, is preparing for a potential IPO in the U.S., which could value the company significantly above the $4.3 billion acquisition price paid by KKR [1]. Group 1: Company Background - KKR acquired Wella's professional division, including brands like Clairol and OPI, for $2.5 billion on November 30, 2020, gaining 60% control of the joint venture [4]. - Coty Inc. sold its remaining 25.8% stake in Wella to KKR in December 2025, following a previous sale of a 3.6% stake for $150 million in July 2023 [2]. - Wella Company generated estimated sales of $2.26 billion in 2024, reflecting a 3.3% increase compared to 2023 [6]. Group 2: IPO Considerations - Going public can provide early investors with lucrative exits and enhance the company's profile, brand exposure, and access to capital through stock [7]. - However, IPOs also bring increased scrutiny from analysts and investors, who demand faster growth and improved margins [8]. - The performance of past beauty IPOs in the U.S. has varied, with Oddity's shares initially rising 35% on their first trading day but later trading lower [9].