Kelly Mahoney

Kelly Mahoney is the chief marketing officer of Ulta Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the United States. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing, Mahoney has driven revenue growth through data-led marketing solutions and held several key leadership roles in marketing and strategy at the company. As chief marketing officer, she oversees Ulta Beauty's brand marketing strategy, integrated marketing, creative development, member loyalty, consumer insights and analytics, public relations, social and influencer marketing, and media planning, including the company's retail media network, UB Media.

Before her current role, Mahoney served as senior vice president of customer and growth marketing, where she played a central role in developing and expanding the Ulta Beauty Rewards loyalty program. During her tenure, the program grew to more than 44 million members, accounting for approximately 95 percent of the company's sales. She also led the rebrand of Ulta Beauty Rewards and introduced initiatives such as AI-powered recommendations, gamified shopping experiences, and the launch of Ulta Beauty World, the brand's first experiential beauty event.

As interim chief marketing officer, Mahoney led Ulta Beauty's first Super Bowl activation, a campaign celebrating women in sports that reached over 29 million views. She also oversaw a Golden Globes digital sponsorship and introduced the "Beauty Happens Here" brand platform, a campaign designed to strengthen the emotional connection between Ulta Beauty and its guests. Additionally, she launched the Ulta Beauty Roster, a collective of women athletes focused on empowering girls and women in sports.

Prior to joining Ulta Beauty, Mahoney held leadership positions at BP, including chief of staff for US Fuels and Retail, and at Eire Direct Marketing, where she specialized in loyalty programs for major retailers. Her early career at Accenture focused on financial and process analytics. Mahoney serves on the board of directors for Ebbo, a loyalty and customer engagement company, and has been involved with Metropolitan Family Services, a nonprofit supporting families in Chicagoland. She holds a degree from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Mahoney has been recognized by Women in Retail Leadership Circle and has spoken at industry events including NRF's Retail's Big Show, Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit at CES, and Adweek's event at Cannes. Her expertise in loyalty marketing, personalization, and brand-building positions her as an authority in retail marketing and consumer engagement.