Millie Kendall OBE
Boundary-breaking hair and beauty industry renegade, influential opinion former, and inspiring change maker
A multi-award-winning brand creator and marketing maven with a disruptive and pioneering approach. As a serial entrepreneur with 30+ years of retail, brand development, marketing and PR expertise, Mille has championed and been instrumental in the success of some of the industry’s most exciting brands.
A candid and outspoken voice of challenge, she brings fresh perspectives and new ideas and pushes and supports brands to think and act differently. Millie is a passionate and vocal advocate for industry change.
Millie is tenacious in driving innovation, sustainability, diversity and equality of opportunity.
NON-EXECUTIVE BOARD, TRUSTEE, & ADVISORY EXPERIENCE
2018 – Present Trustee / Sponsor Haircuts 4 Homeless (H4H)
Registered charity boosting self-esteem by providing 40,000+ free haircuts to date via +600 volunteer hairdressers
Jul 2021 – Present Associate / Advisory Board Member Beauty Backed Trust
A not-for-profit trust established by Caroline Hirons during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide an immediate injection of economic assistance to sole practitioners on the beauty industry front line prevented from working. Now an education trust offering funds, training, and support directly to beauty professionals
Mar 2021 – Present Advisory Board Member Beauty Bulb
Supporting beauty, personal care, and wellness brands, opening new markets and delivering multi-channel sales growth
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
June 2018 – Present Co-Founder / CEO The British Beauty Council
A non-profit organisation, founded to represent the voices, opinions, and needs of those working in the personal care sector at the government level, with a focus on supporting successful, innovative, and inclusive British beauty industry
May – Dec 2016 Digital Beauty Contributor Freelance for Marie Claire online
Celebrating the richness and scope of women's lives with award-winning features, essays, op-eds, interviews, and reviews
Mar 2015 – Present Founder / Director Brandstand Communications
Independent and dynamic marketing and PR agency working with new, niche, and established beauty brands
Nov 2013 – Mar 2017 Director Mary Greenwell Fragrances Ltd
Fragrance brand created by award-winning makeup artist Mary Greenwell
Jul 2011 – Oct 2021 Co-Creator / Marketing Director BeautyMART
Disruptive and ground-breaking beauty retail approach; offering more democratic customer choice as the first in-store and online beauty boutique featuring a curated mix of globally-sourced multi price point products, now emulated globally
May 2008 – Dec 2012 Co-Creator / Consultant Scarlett and Crimson Beauty
Integrity-based line of cosmetics focused on the more gender-fluid tween/teen market; developed in collaboration with Coolabi, award-winning creator of children’s fiction, TV, and apps
Aug 1996 – 2010 Co-Founder Ruby & Millie
Stylish and affordable mass-market cosmetics line – the first domestic British makeup brand launch since Mary Quant in the 1960s
1993 – 1998 Owner Millie Kendall PR
Clients included Aveda, Tweezerman, L’Occitane, Sam McKnight, Mary Greenwell, Shu Uemura, Ruby Hammer, Oribe, Trevor Sorbie, and Stila
1984 – 1993 Manager Shu Uemura Cosmetics
Introduced this prestige Japanese beauty brand to the European market (1990)
HONOURS & AWARDS
Jan 2022 OBE: Officer of the Order of the British Empire, HRH Queen Elizabeth II
In recognition of services to the beauty industry
Oct 2021 Achiever of the Year: Pure Beauty Awards, HPCi Media
Mar 2021 Honourable Mention (Outstanding Contribution): BABTAC Inspiring Beauty Awards
Mar 2021 Special Jury Prize: Marie Claire UK Hair Awards
May 2020 Get The Gloss Beauty & Wellness Award
Jan 2011 Mentor: Marie Claire Inspire & Mentor, in association with the Prince’s Trust
Celebrating successful women achieving great things in Britain
May 2007 MBE: Member of the Order of the British Empire, HRH Queen Elizabeth II
In recognition of longstanding contribution to the beauty industry
Jan 2005 Best Beauty Buys Award Winner / Judge: Instyle Hall of Fame
Apr 2002 Cool Brand Leader Winner / Panelist / Judge: Cool Brands
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
IN THE MEDIA
Frequently invited to speak and advocate on behalf of the hair and beauty industry in the news media; regularly approached for interviews, comments, and quotes
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS / PANEL & ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPATION
Represented the British beauty industry, championing and supporting women in the sector in a roundtable discussion with Prime Minister, Boris Johnson (Mar 2021)
Society of Cosmetic Scientists Medal Lecture: How important is formulation to the consumer? (Mar 2018)
Exploring visual identity, dispensation, consumer needs, product performance, the Internet, and beauty trends to confirm
SELECTED PODCASTS
The Reboot Chronicles with Dean DeBiase, The State of the Global Health and Beauty Industry – CEO British Beauty Council, Millie Kendall MBE
Made Online, Episode 3: Millie Kendall MBE (Business Founder, Beauty Maestro & Trend Setter)
Start Somewhere, #4 Why the beauty industry is essential to society – with Millie Kendall MBE
The Guinea Pig 50 The State Of The Industry With Millie Kendall MBE
SELECTED PRESS FEATURES
In Honour of Beauty: the British Beauty Council's Millie Kendall and Helena Grzesk are recognized in the 2022 New Year Honours List, PR Newswire (Dec 2021)
Who’s Who in Natural Beauty 2021, Natural Beauty News
Hairdressers call for a VAT cut down to 5% to survive winter, Telegraph (Oct 2020)
8 activists working hard to make the beauty world a better place, Vogue (Aug 2020)