Ulta CEO Joins Best Buy Board

Best Buy Co. Inc. (Minneapolis) has appointed Ulta Beauty (Bolingbrook, Ill.) CEO David Kimbell to its board of directors, effective immediately.

Kimbell has been Ulta CEO since June 2021. He joined the beauty retailer in 2014, serving in several leadership roles over time, including President and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer. Prior to joining Ulta, he held executive posts at U.S. Cellular, Seventh Generation, PepsiCo’s Quaker Food Division and in the beauty division of Procter & Gamble.

“Dave’s leadership experience in specialty retail and service is an incredible asset to our organization, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the board,” said Best Buy CEO Corie Barry. “His proven record of leading and transforming numerous top brands and retailers, while focusing on what’s best for their employees and communities, will be invaluable as we continue to create the future of retail for evolving consumers.”

Said Kimbell: “I am honored to be joining Corie and Best Buy’s impressive board of directors during this important stage in the brand’s evolution. I am energized by the growth opportunities ahead for the company, which shares my passion for consumer centricity and innovation. I look forward to supporting the highly talented leadership team as they bring to life Best Buy’s vision to personalize and humanize technology solutions for every stage of life.”

Best Buy currently operates 1045 stores, down about 600 from eight years ago. Earlier this year, the company said it planned to close up to 30 stores this year, Retail Dive reported.

Ulta, meantime, operates about 1400 stores and plans to open 25-30 new stores this year.