A digitally disruptive company from the start, e.l.f. Beauty is fueled by innovation and a business model that nurtures executing with the best of cost, quality, and speed. The brands it builds are to disrupt norms, shape culture, and connect communities through positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility. 

An industry veteran with experience at P&G and Clorox, Tarang Amin took the helm of e.l.f. Beauty in 2014 and as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer testing the public markets in 2016. Trading under (NYSE:ELF), it is one of the most successful beauty IPOs and a top-performing company on the New York Stock Exchange, notching its 22nd consecutive quarter of growth and surpassing $1 billion in sales. Tarang has grown the business over 7x, strategically expanding into a multibrand portfolio that includes e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, Well People, and Keys Soulcare.

Known for delivering premium quality at an extraordinary value with broad appeal, e.l.f. Cosmetics has the number one or two position across eighteen segments in the mass color cosmetics category by building “holy grail” franchises, power SKUs, and sustainable innovation progress.

A dynamic, passionate, and purpose-driven leader, Tarang has led innovation and unleashed the superpowers of high-performance teams to drive growth for over 30 years. He is committed to building teams and a Board of Directors that mirror the consumers they serve.

What was a challenge or problem you identified that necessitated a change? 

In 2024, e.l.f. Beauty launched its biggest purpose-led initiative in the company’s 20-year history: Change the Board Game, a movement of positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility designed to inspire and empower companies to diversify their Boards of Directors.

e.l.f. Beauty is one of only four publicly traded US companies (out of 4,200) with a Board of Directors that is at least two-thirds women and one-third diverse. As proud as we are of this, we want to see more than four companies put women and diversity in the highest seats of power. This campaign encourages companies to diversify their boards and is our call to action to bring about bold disruption with a kind heart. 

Creating meaningful progress towards equality is also the profitable thing to do. Having a diverse board ensures that companies represent the communities they serve, which in turn is good for business and the bottom line. Our 22 consecutive quarters of net sales growth are proof of that, and there is data beyond our own that supports this. This campaign incorporated first-of-its-kind research on equity in boardrooms and found that companies with ethnically diverse boards are 13% more likely to financially outperform those without ethnically diverse boards, while companies with gender-diverse boards are 27% more likely to financially outperform.

Change the Board Game is a multiphase, long-term commitment. Recognizing that putting more diversity in seats of power will take the partnership of other companies, e.l.f.’s ambition is to help double the rate of women and diverse members added to corporate boards by 2027.

Creating change is a complex process, usually filled with hurdles. What drives your commitment to keep going?

Our ethos drives our vision: to create a different kind of company by building brands that disrupt norms, shape culture, and connect communities through positivity, inclusivity, and accessibility. Our ethos attracts a community of over 14 million social followers who want to be part of our orbit. This allows us to transcend beauty and become entertaining with our trailblazing collaborations, content, and series of eyes.lips.firsts.

We are committed to being a purpose-led, results-driven brand across product, purpose, and pioneering platforms. On Roblox, one of the world's most popular virtual playgrounds among Gens Z and Alpha, since the launch of our e.l.f. UP! experience late last year, we have the number one branded experience with a 95% positivity rating and almost 15 million plays. We are always looking outside ourselves and our industry to fuel our belief that anything is e.l.f.ing possible.

Creating change requires rallying consensus and motivating others to support the cause. How did you achieve this? 

We are creating a different kind of company. This starts with being purpose-led. e.l.f. stands with every eye, lip, face, paw, and fin. We support self-expression, empowerment, and human rights. We strive to do the right thing for people, the planet, and our furry and finned friends. We empower both our community and each other to succeed by being your truest self, and we always stand up for what we believe in. We have shown through our results that when we act with purpose to further our positive impact, our business is more successful. We live our mission everyday by making the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip, face, and skin concern.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? 

I am most proud of our incredible team and culture that we have built at e.l.f. Beauty. We have a “one team, one dream” philosophy, and this is rooted in creating long-term success for everyone on our team. Each e.l.f. employee receives equity in the company. Since the beginning of my career, I always felt the corporate equity structure was back loaded, making people work for decades to acquire enough wealth creation to benefit their families. Granting everyone a stake in our company creates a sense of pride and responsibility in our business. We have just over 500 employees, and since our IPO, excluding our executive officers, we’ve granted $180 million in equity to our employees in a stock that has grown 10x. It makes me so happy to hear all the stories of what people have been able to do with their e.l.f. equity.

BeautyMatter has a platform to amplify your work. How can our community support?

We encourage the BeautyMatter community to join us on our mission to impact positive change in the world. We are the first beauty company to be Fair Trade Certified. This means that our products are made according to rigorous Fairtrade Standards that promote sustainable livelihoods and safe working conditions in our manufacturing facilities. We are also on a mission to Change the Board Game. These are two examples where we are just getting started, and would welcome the BeautyMatter community to reach out to us as, together, we can create a more impactful and inclusive future for all.

What advice would you give to others looking to make a difference?

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Change starts with intentionality and determination. All it takes is one person to act with intentionality and determination, and you would be surprised by how many others will join you on your journey.

What excites you about the future of the industry? 

I always tell new team members, “You are joining us at exactly the right time. We are just getting started!” And I fundamentally believe this. We see white space opportunities in the beauty industry and beyond. This includes color cosmetics, skincare, and international. While we are immensely proud of how far we have come over the last 20 years in business, we’re especially excited for the future.