Industry analysts have already called attention to the strong foundation that Yes To has in place. Last summer, experts at market researcher Kline Group ranked it on their list of the top ten emerging cosmetics brands.
And beauty insiders have given the naturals company the nod as well. Four Yes To products were finalists for this year’s CEW Beauty Awards: Yes to Blueberries Face & Neck Oil, Yes to Carrots Fragrance Free Hydration Night Cream, Yes to Coconut Cooling Lip Oil, and Yes to Coconut Polishing Body Scrub. The awards recognize the most innovative products in the industry as judged by beauty experts that constitute the organization’s membership. Having that many items in the final running is noteworthy, considering that nearly 750 products in competition for the honor.
Moving forward
The Yes To company intends to develop its distribution in North America further and expand internationally as well. Yes To products are currently sold in more than 25,000 food/drug/mass retailers globally.
Beyond those objectives, Jackel will “work closely with the Yes To management team to further strengthen the brand,” according to a media release announcing her appointment.
Company leadership is confident in the posting: "Ingrid's impressive track record as an innovator in the beauty category makes her the ideal leader for Yes To as we embark on the next phase of growth for the brand," says Scott Potter, chairman of Yes To and managing partner of San Francisco Equity Partners.
Initiative
Yes To is a beauty company in sync with the cultural moment, selling products that resonate with spunky consumers interested in natural ingredients an environmentally conscious brands.
"How could I not say 'Yes To' this tremendous opportunity to nurture and expand such a unique and forward thinking brand?” asks Jackel rhetorically.
She describes Yes To as “a natural, on-trend, relevant yet irreverent platform that will be the ideal stage for first-to-market concepts and best in class innovation,” and remarks, “ I am extremely excited to share my passion for innovation and 20 years of experience with the entire Yes To team."
Company co-founder Ido Lefler welcomes her on board. “I very much look forward to working with Ingrid to continue to build one of the most fun, dynamic natural beauty brands in the market."
Beyond the brand
San Francisco, California, where Yes To is headquartered, is a strategic location for brands looking to connect with Asian beauty markets. The company’s previous CEO Joy Chen is relocating H20 Plus there next year in hopes of doing just that.
She also has plans to close the H20 Plus Chicago facility and shift completely to third-party manufacturing: “After careful analysis it became clear…that the current manufacturing structure was not in the long-term financial interests of the company,” she told the press earlier this month.