JUE WONG OF OLAPLEX
“We work to live not live to work. When you truly realize this you do better for your team and yourself.”— JuE Wong
JuE Wong, CEO and Executive Board Member of Olaplex has a robust track record of scaling emerging brands such as Murad Inc., NV Perricone MD Ltd., ZO Skin Health by Dr. Obagi, Astral Health and Beauty and StriVectin while globalizing established brands that include Cargill Inc., PepsiCo, and Dial Corp. She was the former President at Elizabeth Arden and most recently Global CEO of Moroccanoil.
A proven global senior executive with experience and exposure in four continents and seven countries. JuE is considered as one of the ‘go-to’ progressive executives in driving intrinsic change to increase portfolio value in omni channel, international and DX/ Disruption.
JuE serves on the Corporate Boards of Mila Moursi Advanced Skincare and Versicolor Technologies as well as CEW, a Trade Board. She is also a Board member of C200 where membership is by invitation only.
What drew you to become the CEO of Olaplex?
I have always been drawn to science and technology driven products. Olaplex with its patented, potent and proven molecular technology that repairs and strengthens hair was just super exciting to me.
How have your experiences leading companies such as Moroccanoil, Elizabeth Arden, and Strivectin impacted your leadership style at Olaplex and what was unexpected when leading the team at Olaplex?
Moroccanoil was all about growth while the rest was about turnaround. Learnings from my past experience help me to lead strategically and with purpose.
Since you became CEO, Olaplex has expanded its specialty retail and direct-to-consumer (D2C) footprint dramatically. What’s next for the company?
Focusing, optimizing, and scaling our growth. There is a lot of runway and headroom. We are just scratching the surface as a company.
As CEO, how do you balance between the short-term goals and the long-term vision of the company?
Prioritizing and operating on principles that drive long-term growth. This means investing in infrastructure, people, and innovation.
Who is a woman leader you look up to?
Mindy Grossman. She is never afraid to push herself and she has also moved from industry to industry: Active wear, TV selling, and Lifestyle.
What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
We work to live not live to work. When you truly realize this you do better for your team and yourself.
Quick Take One: Name three of your favorite Olaplex products.
Olaplex No 0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment
Olaplex No 3 Hair Perfector
Olaplex No 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask
Quick Take Two: Recommend a few books, podcasts, newsletters, or blogs that you've enjoyed and would recommend to the website readers.
Steve Jobs biography, The Everything Store, and all the books by Howard Shultz.
Quick Take Three: Name one act of self-care you practice each day.
Drinking my Genmai Chai every evening after dinner. It relaxes me and is healthy for me.