Yesterday, Shana Randhava, the architect behind Estée Lauder Companies’ (ELC) investment arm New Incubation Ventures (NIV), has departed as the company undergoes a significant leadership overhaul. Her exit marks another high-profile departure amid ELC’s ongoing restructuring under its new president and CEO, Stéphane de La Faverie.
Randhava played a pivotal role in shaping ELC’s approach to strategic investments and brand acquisitions. She spearheaded the launch of NIV, leading investments in emerging brands such as Vyrao, Codemint, Haeckels, Kiki, and Melt Season. Before founding NIV, she led ELC’s M&A strategy, overseeing key acquisitions, including Deciem, Too Faced, By Kilian, Dr. Jart, and the Balmain Beauty license.
Her departure was confirmed on March 3 via New Incubation Ventures’ LinkedIn account, which acknowledged her contributions to the company’s investment strategy. Randhava expressed enthusiasm for her next career move, stating her continued passion for building visionary brands and driving disruptive innovation.
Following her exit, Ryan J. Piela and Lauren Wisniewski will now lead NIV. These changes come as ELC restructures its leadership and strategy under de La Faverie, who announced a new executive team and organizational structure in February.
