Kolmar Korea revamps leadership for North American expansion

South Korea's leading cosmetics original design manufacturer Kolmar Korea appointed Hur Yong-chul, the former China business chief, as the CEO of Kolmar Laboratories and Kolmar USA, marking its full-scale entry into the North American market.

With the appointment announced Tuesday, the company aims to maximize the use of its North American production facilities, including the first plant in the US and the second plant currently under construction.

Hur previously served as the head of Kolmar Korea's Chinese subsidiaries, Kolmar Beijing and Kolmar Wuxi. He brings extensive experience in the development and production business of global manufacturers, having overseen the production of skincare products and pigment cosmetics.

Philippe Warnery, the former CEO of the Italian cosmetics ODM company Intercos North America, has been appointed the global chief commercial officer of the North American subsidiary. Warnery also served as the CEO of Estee Lauder UK and Canada.

Meanwhile, a 20-year veteran in the industry, George Rivera, was appointed as the chief science officer of the North American subsidiary. Rivera has experience working for global cosmetics companies such as L'Oreal's US subsidiary and Intercos.

Kolmar Korea R&D Complex Research Director Park In-ki was appointed as head of the North American R&D Center, and will be responsible for adapting core technologies developed at the firm's R&D hub to meet local market needs.

K-beauty products sold in the US through global distribution channels such as Amazon have seen increasing popularity. The company plans to actively pursue ODM sales that enhance market access and logistics efficiency for Korean small and medium-sized independent brands seeking to enter the US market.

"We will focus on creating growth engines through organic cooperation in sales, production and R&D, expanding our influence beyond the Americas to Europe," a Kolmar Korea official said.