Wondering how an MBA can help with your professional growth? Join us to hear from Heela Yang, an HBS alumna (MBA 2001) and CEO & Co-Founder of
Sol de Janeiro, as she shares insights on how HBS equips you for a career in entrepreneurship.
Since launching Sol de Janeiro in the summer of 2015 with just three products with former co-founders, Marc Capra & Camila Pierotti, Heela Yang has led the brand to become a global body care phenomenon. Founded with the mission to spark self-celebration and joy through the power and the warmth of the Brazilian spirit, the brand has established a cult status under Yang’s stewardship, growing into a company with just over 30 products and an estimated global retail sales of $1 billion in 2023. In 2021, L’OCCITANE acquired a majority stake in the brand. Joining L’OCCITANE Group marked a significant chapter, marrying Sol de Janeiro's vibrant ethos with L’OCCITANE's sustainability leadership, paving the way for thoughtful expansion.
Heela's life has been defined by unexpected twists, one of the most significant being her departure from a successful corporate career in New York to join her partner in Brazil, where shortly after, she became pregnant. This pivotal moment sparked a profound journey of self-discovery, where she grappled with changes in her body and confidence. Her transformative experience in Brazil, surrounded by self-assured and empowered women, became the catalyst for a powerful mission. Together with her co-founders, Heela set out to revolutionize the global beauty industry through Sol de Janeiro.
Prior to Sol de Janeiro, Heela's career followed a diverse and dynamic trajectory, encompassing various sectors including politics, academia, investment banking, and ultimately culminating in the beauty industry. Heela spent 12 years in the beauty industry with an extensive track record of success at leading global brands such as Lancôme (L’Oréal) and Clinique (Estee Lauder Companies). As Director of Marketing and Head of Global Skincare Strategy at Clinique, Heela managed over $300 million of skincare product lines while leading the global strategy for Clinique’s skincare category sold in 135 countries with revenues over $1bn.
While living between Brazil and NY, Heela pursued entrepreneurial ventures, including investing, consulting, and developing proprietary beauty brands in the US, Asia, and Brazil. Before marketing, Heela was an analyst at Goldman Sachs Investment Banking, focusing on the retail industry. The eclectic blend of skills acquired from her stints in politics, academia, investment banking and leading global beauty brands enriched Heela’s approach to brand building, setting the stage for Sol de Janeiro’s iconic journey.
She is a graduate of Harvard College, Yale Graduate School, and Harvard Business School. She is still married to the man who gave her the Brazil experience, and they have a son who believes that the brand name Sol de Janeiro (Sun of January) is named after him because he is their “son” and was born in January.
Heela continues to steer Sol de Janeiro towards new horizons, making self-celebration a global narrative.
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