“Leadership isn’t just about performance, it’s about building teams, supporting growth, and fostering potential. Every job, every interaction, is part of your story.” 

In a digital-first retail landscape, global beauty buying is about more than curation - it’s about balancing data and commercial instinct, anticipating emerging markets and ever-evolving consumer behaviours. 

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Billie joined THG Beauty to lead our Buying Team just over a year ago, overseeing buying for LOOKFANTASTIC, Cult Beauty and Dermstore. From starting her earlier career on the shop floor at Accessorize, to now leading our beauty buying teams globally, Billie’s career is proof of where passion, tenacity and vision can take you.  

In this candid Q&A, she reflects on the moments that shaped her journey - from fashion buying during her years at Harrods and NET-A-PORTER, and now, to leading three of the largest online beauty retailers. 

Billie offers exclusive insight into balancing market intuition and long-term strategy, the importance of people-first leadership and maintaining a clear-eyed view of what it means to lead with integrity in a global business. 

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Can you walk us through your career journey and how it led to your current role as Chief Buying Officer at THG Beauty? 

Retail has always been a passion of mine - I’ve loved shopping and the transformative power of clothes, beauty, and self-expression for as long as I can remember. That passion naturally evolved into an obsession with fashion and beauty, and my first retail job on the shop floor at Accessorize - completely hooked me. I loved the interaction with customers, visual merchandising, hitting sales targets, unpacking new stock… every single part of it. 

That experience led me to continue working in retail while at university and eventually into store management. I really enjoyed it, but I realised that long-term, I wanted a different kind of challenge. Buying was something I’d always been interested in, though it had felt a bit out of reach at the time. But while working in personal shopping at Harrods, I was offered a role in the accessories buying office, and I leapt at the opportunity. 

From there, my love for buying grew. I spent over six years at Harrods, progressing to Buyer for Handbags. One career-defining moment for me was walking into the handbag room at Harrods and knowing that every item and even the shop fitting - down to the lighting - had been chosen by me. That was incredibly rewarding. 

In 2012, I joined NET-A-PORTER as Global Handbag Buyer. It was my first true experience of ecommerce and gave me exposure to a global customer base. Buying in a digital-first environment meant thinking differently - about regional preferences, seasonality, and trends that played out differently in different markets, despite everyone watching the same runway shows.  

Over 10 years at NET-A-PORTER, I progressed into broader leadership roles, eventually overseeing all categories as Acting Buying Director. We launched new categories like kidswear and even art, which was an industry first for the business. I stayed so long because the business kept evolving and so did my role - I was constantly learning and being challenged. 

After my third child, I made the decision to take extended maternity leave, something I hadn’t done with my first two. It was a personal choice, and I’m so grateful I had that time. When I started to think about returning, I wasn’t sure what my next step would be - but I knew it had to be something exciting and ambitious.  

When THG reached out about the Chief Buying Officer role, the scale and ambition of the beauty business, combined with the vision shared by Tom Mills-Webb and Lucy Gorman, really struck a chord. The conversations we had felt very mutual - about whether the business would be right for me, and I for it. A year on, I can say with full confidence that it was the right move. 

Were there any pivotal moments or decisions that shaped your progression into senior leadership? 

Definitely. One big one was realising that I truly loved managing people. In buying, the career path is fairly linear, but what set me apart was that I didn’t just love the job - I loved helping others develop in theirs. Leadership isn’t just about performance, it’s about building teams, supporting growth, and fostering potential. That mindset made a big difference in how I was seen and in the opportunities I was given. 
 

Another pivotal aspect has been relationships. So many of my career steps have come through people recommending me or believing in me - whether that was someone I served on a shop floor who opened the door to Harrods, or brand partners who recommended me for roles at NET-A-PORTER. I can’t overstate enough the importance of leaving a positive impression and investing in relationships. The industry is smaller than people realise, and reputations travel fast. 

Do you have advice for people still building confidence and trying to pursue opportunities? 

Be vocal about your ambition. You don’t need to have your 10-year plan figured out, but do be clear about what you’re aiming for right now. Think about how you to progress and success looks like for you. A good manager will support you in achieving your goals, even if those goals take you out of their team. 
 

Also, don’t underestimate the power of managing up. We spend so much time learning how to manage teams, but not enough on how to support our own managers and wider team. Understanding what your line of work needs and how you can contribute to that - shows real commercial awareness and can give you access to exciting projects or insights you wouldn’t otherwise get. 

What does a typical day look like for you, and how do you balance long-term strategy with fast-paced commercial decisions? 

In buying, no two days are the same. I could be meeting brand partners over breakfast, building relationships, or deep in financial and commercial planning. That relationship-building side is critical. Some of the best deals I’ve secured have come not from formal meetings, but from trust built over time. 

A large part of my day is also spent in meetings, on Teams, or tackling a relentless inbox! But what I try to keep front of mind is balance: reacting to today’s trading, while also carving out time for strategy. I’m very aware of how easily we can get caught up in daily tactics and lose sight of long-term goals. 

What are some of the challenges and opportunities of leading global beauty buying at scale? 

One challenge is ensuring you’re constantly thinking globally, not just within a UK lens. Beauty trends, tastes, and retail landscapes differ wildly from country to country, even when everyone’s watching the same content or launches. So, understanding those nuances is essential. 
 

Another challenge is making sure strategy is actionable. I challenge my team to dream big, but also to stress test those ideas - what do we need to make them happen? What’s realistic? 

For me, the strategy is usually quite clear. I’m currently writing the 2026 strategy, but I’m always thinking about it. I’m always considering what the next challenge, threat, or opportunity might be. That might sound a bit existential, but as a retail business, you have to think like that.  

Reading widely also helps me stay sharp - industry news, retail updates, not just in beauty but in fashion too. Most of my career was in fashion, and there’s so much crossover in consumer behaviour that we can learn from. It’s important not to get stuck in a UK-centric bubble.   

What’s one piece of career advice you always come back to? 

Work hard. That doesn’t mean working the longest hours - it means being committed, focussed, and dependable. And always remember: every job, every interaction, is part of your story. People will remember how you made them feel, how well you delivered, and whether you showed up as someone who was curious, kind, and invested in the bigger picture. That kind of energy attracts opportunity. 
 

How do you find buying across international markets? 

I feel very comfortable in the US market. At my last company, the US was my number one market, followed by the UK. So managing Dermstore, our US-led business feels natural to me. I know the New York and LA consumer really well - I spent a decade serving that market and understanding what they want. 

What’s interesting is that the US is often about six months to a year ahead of the UK when it comes to beauty - so there are always valuable insights we can take from the US market. 

Dermstore is such a special business. Their commitment to skin expertise and skin health is something I deeply respect, so I feel incredibly lucky to now be working on that business. 

We also have different challenges in the Middle East - another important region for us via LOOKFANTASTIC. I’ve been watching that consumer for years, especially during my time at Harrods, which has a strong Middle Eastern customer base. Europe, by contrast, is more homogenous - there are some differences, but nothing like the gap between, say, Europe and the Middle East or the US and Asia. 

When you’re running a global business, that cultural and regional nuance is essential. Even if the majority of our revenue comes from the UK, we must keep a global mindset.

Beauty trends are shifting all the time - right now we’re seeing a lot of skin-first, ingredient-led products. How do you keep up, and how does that inform your buying strategy?  
 

A lot of those trends show up in our sales data before they hit mainstream awareness. Our buyers analyse trends daily, weekly, monthly - tracking what’s rising, what’s falling, which ingredients are starting to spike, and what customers are searching for. 

We also see emerging themes during buying campaigns when we meet with brands. Recently in fragrance, for example, we spotted a huge wave of pistachio-scented products. Multiple brands were showing it as a key note - so we know it’s going to be a trend, because the brands themselves are setting that direction. 

And then, of course, there’s social media. Some trends come out of nowhere - one viral post can change everything. You can’t predict those, but you can react. That’s the key distinction: some trends you can forecast, others you need to jump on in the moment. 

 
What’s been your favourite trend or shift this year? 

I’ve really enjoyed seeing customers return to a true skin-first approach. The focus on microbiome health and protecting the skin barrier - it’s such a positive shift. It’s no longer just about how skin looks, but how it functions and feels. I’m especially pleased to see the decline of overuse of actives on young, undeveloped skin, and I’m glad we’re moving on from it. 

On the makeup side, I’ve loved the blush renaissance - I’ve always believed blush makes everyone look instantly healthier. And I’m so happy to see lip gloss back in a big way. I’ve been a gloss girl since the ’90, and it’s just such a timeless look. 

But trends I’ll never support? Skinny eyebrows. Editorially, they can be beautiful and artistic - but in everyday life? No. I overplucked mine in the ’90s and I’ve spent 20 years trying to get them back. So, that’s a trend I’ll be cheering from the sidelines - but not participating in! 

What value would you say you lead with? 

I really hope I lead with honesty and humanity. I try to be transparent - sometimes too much so - but I believe in being approachable and kind. 

I came up in a very different environment. The fashion industry wasn’t always kind. It was a “Devil Wears Prada” era of fashion buying, whilst I was lucky with the leaders I worked for throughout my career, that certainly wasn’t a universal norm. I promised myself back then that if I ever made it to a senior leadership position, I would lead differently. I feel very accountable to that younger version of myself. 

That doesn’t mean I avoid tough decisions. Sometimes, the kindest thing is the hardest decision - because you’re protecting the business and its long-term future. But you can still carry that that with empathy and integrity. That’s the kind of leader I want to be - and I hope it’s what people experience when they work with me. 
 

Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, is someone I really admire. She spoke about redefining leadership not as a male blueprint, but in a way that incorporates empathy and strength together. That really resonates with me. You can be a decisive leader and a kind one - and I hope to always be both. 

Looking ahead, how do you see LOOKFANTASTIC and Cult Beauty evolving to meet future customer expectations? 

That’s a challenge we ask ourselves all the time. As I mentioned, we’re developing our 2026 strategy now, and the customer is absolutely central to everything we’re planning. 

For Cult Beauty, the customer comes for discovery, expertise, and trust. They want to feel like they belong to a community - so we need to stay true to what brought them to us in the first place. 

LOOKFANTASTIC, on the other hand, is about breadth and accessibility. Our customers know they can find what they’re looking for - whether that’s an entry-level product or a luxury brand. They come to us for value - and value doesn’t just mean price. It could be an incredible GWP (Gift with Purchase) or a loyalty perk. But it needs to feel worth their time and money. 

So the challenge is: how do we keep delivering value, expertise, and a seamless customer journey, while continuing to evolve? It’s a constant balancing act - but it’s one we’re committed to getting right. 

 
If you had to make one prediction about the next big trend or the future of retail, what would it be? 

In terms of beauty trends, we’ve been in a long period of minimal, natural aesthetics - the whole “clean girl” look. But I think we’re going to see a shift back toward more striking, statement makeup. I expect a return to bolder, more expressive looks in the next year or so.  

Another shift we’re beginning to see is in skin finish. We’ve had dewy, glowing skin dominating for a long time. I think we’ll see a move toward a more matte look - but not the chalky matte we saw years ago. Customers still want to show the health and radiance of their skin, especially now that there’s much greater awareness around skin health.  

 
A greater focus will also be around hair health. It’s about recognising that your scalp is skin too. Healthy hair starts at the scalp, and we’re already seeing a rise in scalp serums. I think this will become even more prominent as people continue to invest in full-spectrum skin care - from face to scalp. 

Is there a product or ingredient you’re really enjoying right now? 

Right now, I’m loving the Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced serum. I’m really fascinated by exosomes and growth factors. These aren’t new molecules or technologies, but our understanding of how to harness them has massively improved. I think over the next 12 to 18 months, we’ll see a lot more in terms of using them as delivery systems and for skin healing. 
 

I’m really interested in how these technologies can translate into haircare too. I’d love to see those same skin-healing advances being applied to hair health. It’s not something that fully exists yet, but it’s definitely something to watch.