We couldn’t be more excited to share the news that Women in Retail Leadership Circle advisory board member and Milani Cosmetics CEO Mary van Praag has received the coveted 2023 Brand Builder of the Year Award from WWD’s Beauty Inc. She was presented the award at a star-studded ceremony at the Rainbow Room in New York City’s Rockefeller Center on Dec. 7.

WWD’s Beauty Inc. Award recipients are chosen by Beauty Inc.’s editorial team, using a variety of criteria, including sales data, social media metrics, expert analysis, and its own reporting throughout the year.

Van Praag was selected as this year’s award winner thanks to her successful run as Milani’s CEO. According to an article published in WWD last week, when van Praag joined Milani Cosmetics as CEO, COVID-19 was in full swing and the mass color category was down 20 percent. “Undaunted, van Praag harnessed her trademark energy and got to work,” according to the article. “She assembled a top leadership team, refocused the business to its core competency of color cosmetics, doubled down on its hero products, and built back relationships with its key retailers.”

The strategy paid off, according to WWD. “Fast-forward three years and van Praag has turned the business around. Milani is the only independent brand to rank in the top 10 in mass color, with sales up 30 percent this year to an estimated $200 million.” What’s more, Milani is winning with millennials, thanks to savvy social media campaigns like “NoFilterJustMilani,” which supported the launch of a 45-strong shade range of concealers.

For van Praag, the success lies in the prowess of her team. “I recognized that it probably just didn’t have the right execution on the key elements to drive a vibrant, growing mass color brand,” she told WWD earlier this year, noting that moving forward the company is hyperfocused on the in-store experience, too. “It’s a combination of core architecture, innovation and compelling communication.”