Janet Gurwitch is the founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics & Skincare, a global brand of high-end niche cosmetics. Gurwitch managed and oversaw Mercier’s day-to-day business operations, strategy development and retail negotiations.
Gurwitch joined forces with Mercier in 1996 after realizing the imminent paradigm shift in the beauty industry that propelled niche lines to the forefront of the cosmetics business. The combination of Gurwitch’s business savvy and foresight plus Mercier’s talent provided a solid foundation for a strong, growing business based on technique and high-quality product. She sold Laura Mercier in 2008, and it’s now owned by Shiseido Corporation in Japan.
Prior to founding Laura Mercier, Gurwitch was the Executive Vice President of Neiman Marcus, where she established the merchandising strategy (1992-1995).
Today, Gurwitch is an investor in and on the Board of Directors of Drybar and the Houston Astros baseball team. She formerly served on the boards of Tatcha, First Aid Beauty, Dollar Shave Club and Urban Decay Cosmetics. For the past decade, she was an operating partner with Castanea, a Boston-based private equity firm, with focus on the beauty consumer space.