James Whatley assumes chief information officer role at Mary Kay

Beauty and entrepreneurship company Mary Kay Inc. announced the appointment of James Whatley as chief information officer.

In his new role, Whatley, the company said in a release, will champion Mary Kay’s digital innovation efforts, including revolutionising Mary Kay independent beauty consultants’ ability to unleash their full potential through tools and technology.

“Through the development of digital technology, tools, and applications, we’re improving not only the experience for the independent sales force, but for their customers around the world,” said Deborah Gibbins, chief operating officer at Mary Kay Inc., adding, “James is a change champion. He understands how to equip the independent sales force to compete—and provide exceptional service—in our always-on, always-connected world.”

Whatley, who’s been with Mary Kay for 25 years, has played an instrumental role in designing systems that ensure an independent beauty consultant can run her business anytime, anywhere. That includes the development of Mary Kay digital properties like MaryKay.com, Mary Kay InTouch (a digital portal used by the independent sales force), online ordering, and the independent sales force’s personal business websites. As one of the largest direct sellers in the world, Mary Kay processes millions of orders through its commerce sites.

“I’m motivated first and foremost by finding solutions for the sales force. At the same time, I want to create environments that foster teamwork, trust, and strong partnerships amongst the company’s global partners. Our founder, Mary Kay Ash, once said, ‘Standing still is the same thing as moving backward.’ I agree with her, and it’s a philosophy I take with me to work every day,” added Whatley.

Whatley holds a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of New Orleans. Before joining Mary Kay, he worked at Software Spectrum and Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in software development and consulting roles.