Beauty’s Tariff Playbook:
Thriving in Economic Uncertainty
Can beauty brands turn economic chaos into a competitive advantage? In this essential talk for today's times, Kimber Maderazzo, Professor of Marketing at Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business and former corporate beauty executive, shares practical strategies to weather today's uncertain economy while preparing for future growth. Beauty brands need fresh approaches to stay ahead with new tariffs changing supply chains, unpredictable markets threatening stability, and potential inflation cutting into profits. This session provides clear guidance on protecting the bottom line, keeping innovation alive, and turning economic challenges into opportunities.
We'll explore such key issues as how current tariff policies impact manufacturing and ingredient sourcing, ways to maintain profits without losing price-conscious customers, and partnerships that can help preserve innovation despite changes in the supply chain. You'll gain an understanding of both quick fixes and long-term strategies to handle these market challenges, allowing brands to not only survive current economic pressures but also emerge stronger and better positioned against competitors when market conditions improve.
Speaker
Kimber Maderazzo
Chairman | Board Director | Operating Advisor | Beauty Industry Innovation Leader
Kimber Maderazzo is a seasoned corporate executive, award-winning innovator, board director, and professor, with a lifetime career dedicated to building some of the world’s most iconic beauty, wellness, and consumer brands. She is widely recognized for translating deep consumer insights into breakthrough products — creating billion-dollar brands, category-defining innovation, and measurable business impact.
Throughout her 20+ year career, Kimber has been at the forefront of product innovation, driving growth and transformation for global leaders including Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, LVMH, Avon, Colgate-Palmolive, and Herbalife.
Her unique expertise spans various innovative disciplines — from skincare technology, clean beauty formulations, and personalized wellness solutions, to entertainment-driven marketing models, DTC ecosystems, and high-velocity product development frameworks.
As Executive Vice President & General Manager of The Proactiv Company, a division of Nestlé Skin Health, Kimber led global brand strategy and innovation, introducing next-generation skincare technologies and expanding Proactiv’s leadership across digital, retail, and international markets. Earlier in her career, during 14 years at Guthy-Renker — the world’s largest direct-to-consumer company — she created and scaled enduring beauty and wellness brands by leveraging new product platforms, consumer testing models, and data-driven marketing strategies long before they became industry standard.
Kimber currently serves as Chair of the Masters in Global Business Program at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School, where she is passionate about mentoring the next generation of business leaders. As a Marketing Professor since 2011, she equips students with the real-world frameworks, strategic thinking, and innovation mindset needed to lead in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.
In addition to her work in academia, Kimber served as Chairman of C200 — a global organization of the world’s most successful women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders — where she championed women building and leading profit-driven businesses across every industry.
Today, as a Chairman, Board Director, and Operating Advisor to private equity-backed companies, Kimber partners with investors and leadership teams to accelerate growth, drive operational excellence, and unlock product innovation as a key value creation lever.
Her legacy is rooted in building brands consumers love, shaping products that solve real consumer needs, and mentoring the next generation of innovative leaders.
