Marla Malcolm Beck
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Harvard University (MPP, MBA)
Marla Malcolm Beck | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 22, 1970 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California Berkeley (BA) Harvard University (MPP, MBA) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-Founder, CEO Bluemercury |
| Spouse | Barry Beck |
Marla Malcolm Beck (born May 22, 1970) is an American entrepreneur based in the United States.[1] She co-founded the beauty company Bluemercury in Washington, D.C. alongside her husband, Barry J. Beck in 1999.[2] Bluemercury was acquired by Macy's in 2015.[3][4][5] Beck retained her position as CEO until 2021.[6][7]
Beck is the daughter of a real estate developer.[5][8] In 1993, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Arts in political economy and later was hired by the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company as an analyst.[5][9]
Several years later, she quit her job to get a joint graduate degree at Harvard University, earning both her Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, respectively, in 1998.[1][9] After briefly entering the field of private equity, Beck exited the field to create Bluemercury with her husband.[10][11]
Career
In 1999, Beck and her husband founded Bluemercury as an online-only cosmetics boutique,[12] and in the fall of that same year, the duo opened their first store in Georgetown (Washington, D.C.).[13][14] By 2006, the company had grown to 12 stores across the country, supported by New York private equity firm, Invus Group LLC.[15]
In March 2015, Bluemercury joined Macy's, Inc. through acquisition for $210 million. Beck remained Chief executive officer.[3][4][16][17] At the time of the sale, Bluemercury had a little over 60 stores.[18] In September 2019, Bluemercury Chief operating officer Barry Beck announced he would be leaving, while Marla Beck would stay on during a transition period until a new CEO was named.[19][20] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Beck remained in her position at Bluemercury and moved the company towards skincare.[21][22] Beck left the company in 2021.[6]
M-61 Labs
In 2006, Beck began Bluemercury's own vegan skincare line, M-61, which launched in 2012 and refuses to use more than 100 chemicals common to the industry.[5][23]
Lune+Aster
In 2015, Beck launched her own makeup line similar to M-61 in the brands commitment to vegan, gluten free, and paraben free formulas.[24]
Appointed Positions
Beck currently serves in the following positions: The Children's Place Independent Director,[25] Advisory Board of Harvard Business School Rock Center for Entrepreneurship,[26] Leadership Council of Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership,[27] Board of Trustees, Sidwell Friends School,[28] Director Nominee Chobani,[29] Board of Directors for Evenly Technologies, Board of Directors Beauty Health.[30] She previously served as a Board Member for the National Retail Federation[31] and as a member of the Global Leadership Board for EdX.[32]
