Nicola Kilner

Deciem, “The Abnormal Beauty Company,” is the quirky, science-based multimillion-dollar empire of brands including The Ordinary and NIOD. Nicola Kilner—alongside founder Brandon Truaxe, who tragically passed away two years ago—colaunched the company in 2013 vowing to inject passion and transparency into the beauty industry. The company is known for its focus on science, as well as its innovative marketing and affordable cosmetics products. Kilner got her start in beauty at Alliance Boots before Truaxe approached her about launching Deciem. Since then, she has been instrumental in signing on brands with the company, developing its global presence and vision, and navigating the company through a tumultuous period leading up to Truaxe’s passing, in which he publicly battled mental health issues and was removed from Deciem by court order. After becoming sole CEO in October 2018, she has scaled the company into a business with annual net sales of $460 million. Estée Lauder announced it was acquiring Deciem earlier this year, following its initial minority investment in 2017.