"After nine years at Tarte, I'm still so impressed by our ability to grow worldwide while staying true to our values of being cruelty free, using naturally-derived ingredients and giving back," said Kitain, who was promoted from senior vice president of sales and marketing.
Founded in 1999, the "good-for-you glamour" brand has an in-store presence in over 20 countries and distributes online sales worldwide.
A future focused on heritage
In speaking with Cosmetics Design-USA, Kitain said that Tarte began to offer cruelty-free products made with high performance naturals “well before the clean beauty movement that we’re seeing today.”
“As the makeup category starts to make a comeback post-pandemic, we’re really focusing on our heritage,” she explained, adding that that the company will continue to innovate with core ingredients like Amazonian clay and maracuja oil. In expanding its markets, strategy will continue to focus on digital.
“While digital marketing has always been a big part of our strategy, we’ve been testing new vehicles to support our efforts for both e-commerce and brick and mortar,” Kitain said. “We love to be early adopters of new technologies before they become saturated in the market!”
Marketing beyond product
Kitain noted that consumers are increasingly savvy and demanding more from brands: “In addition to delivering innovative products in beautiful packaging, we are very selective about our ingredients and are always looking for ways we can give back to the community.”
Beyond driving the launch of Tarte’s Shape Tape Contour Concealer and developing influencer collaborations, she says one of her favorite Tarte accomplishments is the Big Ego Girls Leadership Summit. The event, sponsored through the company’s Heart to Tart Foundation, is “geared towards celebrating and inspiring confidence in young women.”
The non-profit also supports anti-cyberbullying, environmental conservancy, animal rescue, disaster relief and women's and children's health initiatives.
All female leadership
Under the leadership of CEO and Founder Maureen Kelly and President Candace Craig Bulishak, Kitain joins an all-female executive team including Chief Operating Officer Kim Tran and Chief Accounting Officer Heather Hemsley.
"I'm so proud of this Tarte team and all that they've accomplished together with me over the years – these amazing, smart women have been critical in contributing to Tarte's success," said Kelly.
"It's been so inspiring watching Sam come into this role and I'm confident that she'll help us take the brand to the next level."
In her new role, Kitain oversees global marketing strategies along with social media, public relations, creative content, retail sales, visual merchandising, digital marketing and tarte.com. A graduate of New York University’s Stern School of Business with a B.S. in Marketing, she worked for L’Oreal USA’s skincare and cosmetics divisions prior to joining the Tarte team.
