Beauty Industry Group Names Robert Schaeffler CEO

Beauty Industry Group (BIG) has named Robert Schaeffler CEO.

Schaeffler succeeds Derrick Porter, who is transitioning to the company’s board of directors after 18 years as CEO.

Schaeffler joins BIG with an 18-year history leading brands in the hair and broader beauty industry. Officials say he brings a proven track record of building strong brand identities, modernizing go-to-market strategies, optimizing consumer and stylist experiences and driving meaningful revenue and profit growth for numerous brands in the pro and consumer space.

Most recently, he served as CEO of Vegamour, a leader in holistic hair wellness. Prior to Vegamour, Schaeffler served as CEO of DevaCurl where he boosted revenue and profitability and built the brand into one of the fastest-growing premium professional hair care brands in the US, culminating in the successful sale to Henkel in 2019.

Schaeffler also held various senior leadership roles at Henkel Hair Professional, including serving as a general manager of its Sexy Hair and Kenra Professional brands and also launched Guy Tang’s #mydentity hair color line.

“I’m thrilled to join BIG and work with the team to supercharge the company’s next chapter as we work to extend its leadership position in one of the most attractive, high-growth, and underserved segments within the beauty industry,” said Schaeffler. “The hair extensions category sits at an inflection point and is poised for accelerated growth as consumers across all demographics are increasingly seeking out extensions for fuller, thicker and longer hair to supplement their everyday lives.”