The MBS Group is delighted to share our third report into diversity and inclusion in the Beauty sector, produced in partnership with CEW.
Over the past few months, MBS has undertaken in-depth research, measuring the representation of women, and leaders from an ethnic minority background on the Board and at executive committee level across the global beauty industry. We have also held detailed conversations with Chairs, CEOs, HRDs and other senior leaders to understand the steps companies are taking to make their organisations more inclusive.
We have found that the beauty sector retains genuine strengths:
- LGBTQ+ inclusion remains deeply embedded within the sector, reflected both internally and in brand positioning
- Ethnic minority representation at Board level has grown from 9% in 2021 to 25% in 2026
- Women now hold 54% of ExCo roles, up from 35% in 2021
- Beauty continues to track ahead of many adjacent consumer sectors on the diversity of senior leadership pipelines
But the data also points to areas of concern:
- Formal D&I infrastructure has weakened significantly: dedicated budgets have fallen from 69% in 2023 to just 21% in 2026, and coordinated strategies have dropped from 87% to 57%
- The most senior strategic roles remain disproportionately male: among the top 20 global beauty companies, women hold just 7% of Chair and CEO positions
- Data collection on inclusion is declining, making progress harder to track
- Disability, neurodiversity and social mobility remain underdeveloped areas across the sector
You can download and read the full report here.
