Kao names new chief marketing officer for global salon division

Japanese consumer goods manufacturer Kao has appointed Christian Melcher as its new global chief marketing officer for its salon business.

In the newly created role, Melcher will oversee the brand development, marketing, digital and communications activities for the professional salon brands, including Goldwell, KMS and Kerasilk. The move aims to support the company’s growth strategy to become the global leader in salon hair colour as well as luxury hair care.

In addition, he has been tasked with accelerating Kao’s digital and e-commerce strategies.

Commenting on the appointment, Dominic Pratt, global president of Kao salon division, said in a statement: “Not only does Christian bring the right expertise and capabilities we need to achieve our ambitious growth targets. He is also a strong leader and team player and hence the perfect cultural fit to our Kao family that is driven by strong values such as integrity, customer-centricity, and innovation.”

Melcher joins Kao with more than 20 years of international experience in marketing, sales and general management in the beauty and salon industry. In his most recent role was corporate vice president of D2C, where he spearheaded the D2C activities of Henkel’s beauty care business globally.

On his new role, Melcher added: “I am very excited to join Kao Salon Division and get the opportunity to work with so many talented and passionate people. The salon industry is unique and sets the standards within beauty in many ways. Kao’s brand portfolio is second to none in terms of quality and creativity.

“I am looking forward to evolving these unique brands into a new era and making them known and loved by even more stylists and consumers around the globe.”