Australian skincare icon Ella Baché has been one of the most loved brands on the Australian high street for the past 60 years. But during these decades it is constantly evolving.

From its roots as a family business, the company now has 100 franchises, its products are available in over 150 salons and 35 David Jones stores nationwide, and it also runs a skin care college that provides training and education to students who aspire to a career in the beauty industry.

Pippa Halas – who has been the company’s CEO for more than 14 years – told InvestorDaily that the key to their success is their ability to continuously evolve.

Speaking to InvestorDaily before her primary address at Women in Finance Summit 2024the female executive explained how one of her greatest strengths as a business leader is her ability to drive change.

Like almost all Australian businesses – her business faced seismic disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic as it had to adapt to survive and thrive.

Almost three-quarters of the company and its stores' revenue was generated from services, but this was thrown into disarray when the previous government imposed lockdowns and closed the business in March 2020, resulting in a 50 percent loss of revenue.

While the business had invested heavily in digital channels prior to COVID-19, Halas accelerated the transformation for the skin care business and the college.

"For example, anyone at our beauty academy college could study on our online learning platform," she said.

“We used this platform to connect our therapists and franchisees and ensure that students continue to learn. People in our network have come out of COVID feeling like they have a lot more product and customer service knowledge and experience.”

The business has also created 100 virtual salons where franchisees and therapists create educational and training content and post it on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to engage customers, sell products online and drive revenue.

"Content on our digital channels has become our core marketing strategy," Halas said.

“This boosts our bookings, salons and online product sales. But the difference now is that we're operating in a world where everything is open again, so we're running an omnichannel business.”

Education is a continuous journey

Halas says being a successful business owner is partly about being able to keep up with the latest trends, stressing the importance of continuous learning and professional development.

“You have to stay curious if you want to be a business leader,” she said.

“I intentionally create points throughout the year where I educate myself on the latest developments in technology, artificial intelligence and other topics that everyone is talking about. I spend time outside of the business with peers so I can bring those learnings back into my business.”

Additionally, for the past eight years, she has attended Harvard Business School for one week a year to participate in an executive education program with 100 other CEOs.

“It allows me to get on a plane, which gives me valuable time to think. I can walk the streets of New York to see what's happening in retail overseas. It also allows me to spend a week away from my everyday life and family and learn from Harvard professors and other CEOs.”

Halas also noted the importance of having strong female mentors and proactively building a network of industry leaders, peers and colleagues to thrive in one's career.

“I built my network organically and by searching. I met wonderful people along the way,” she said.

"You can join great global networks of CEOs where women have created their own community."

Learn more about how to embrace change and run a successful business at the Women in Finance Summit 2024.

Pippa Halas will share how she led a legacy brand in a modern market to build a business empire.

It will be held Friday, November 15 at The Star, Sydney.

Click here to book tickets and don't miss out!

For additional information, including agenda and speakers, click here.

This summit is produced by Fascinating events. If you need help planning your next event, email Director Jim Hall at [email protected]