Space NK Elevates CMO Emma Simpson-Scott to Chief Executive
Space NK promotes CMO Emma Simpson-Scott to CEO under new owner Ulta Beauty, succeeding Andy Lightfoot after seven and a half years as the retailer targets growth.
Updated
The brief
- Emma Simpson-Scott, CMO since April 2019, succeeds Andy Lightfoot as CEO of Space NK.
- Ulta Beauty acquired Space NK in July 2025 to expand its UK and Ireland retail footprint.
- Research cited with the news found one in 10 CMOs go on to become CEO.
Space NK has promoted chief marketing officer Emma Simpson-Scott to CEO, installing a marketer at the top of the beauty retailer as it pushes for growth under its new owner, Ulta Beauty.
Simpson-Scott succeeds Andy Lightfoot, who led the business for seven and a half years after serving two and a half years as global digital director. The company has not named her successor as CMO.
Her rise through the ranks at Space NK spans nearly a decade. She joined in August 2016 as group brand communications director, added the marketing director title in April 2018, and became CMO in April 2019. Before Space NK, she spent nine years at L'Oréal, progressing from head of PR to integrated marketing communications director, following agency roles at Freuds and MSL.
Her appointment is a data point for the pipeline from marketing to the top job. Research cited alongside the news found one in 10 CMOs go on to become CEO.
Growth mandate under Ulta Beauty
The leadership change comes months after a change of ownership. In July 2025, Ulta Beauty acquired Space NK to expand its retail footprint in the UK and Ireland. A press release accompanying the appointment points to a "commitment to accelerating growth" and "maintaining its position as the leading curator of luxury beauty in the UK&I".
Simpson-Scott is not the only new face in the C-suite. Space NK has also named a new CFO and a senior vice-president of retail and ecommerce.
In her first comments as incoming CEO, Simpson-Scott pointed to the retailer's brand relationships as a competitive asset. "Space NK has built exceptional relationships with some of the world's most innovative and in-demand beauty brands," she said.
"Together with our exceptionally talented teams and brand partners, I look forward to driving continued innovation and growth and creating even more inspiring beauty experiences for our customers," she added.
Ulta Beauty's president and CEO, Kecia Steelman, endorsed the appointment in pointed terms, calling Simpson-Scott a "highly respected retail leader" who brings "deep customer insight, retail expertise and a passion for building exceptional team".
"I am delighted to congratulate Emma on her appointment to chief executive officer and look forward to our continued work together as she leads Space NK into the next chapter of growth," Steelman said.
For marketing leaders, the move underscores how brand curation and customer insight credentials can translate into broader retail leadership. The open question for Space NK's marketing function: who fills the CMO seat as the retailer enters its Ulta era.
Based on Marketing Week
Filed under space-nk, ulta-beauty, cmo, beauty-retail, leadership
Tom Whitfield
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Staff writer covering consumer brands and retail at Marketing Herald.