Mass hair care brand Odele has a new chief executive officer.
The brand has named Zach Rieken, most recently CEO of Living Proof from 2019 through 2024, to the position, effective immediately. Prior to his tenure at Unilever-owned Living Proof, the hair care veteran served as senior vice president and global general manager at Bumble and bumble, and before that, vice president of sales at Wella Co.
“From the moment I was introduced to Odele, I was inspired by its mission, its momentum and the passion of the team behind it,” Rieken said in a statement. “This brand is doing something truly special — making high-performance, clean beauty accessible without compromise.”
At Living Proof, Unilever alum Brian Kennedy succeeded Rieken as CEO earlier this year.
Odele was cofounded in 2020 by CPG veterans Lindsay Holden, Britta Chatterjee and Shannon Kearney. The Minneapolis-based brand debuted direct-to-consumer and at Target with a range of hair care products each priced at $11.99.
Odele hair care products.
Lauren Krysti Photographer
Odele has since expanded its retail footprint to more than 12,000 doors, entering CVS Pharmacy and Ulta Beauty in 2023, while also selling on Amazon. In 2023, the brand — which offers a range of body washes in addition to a hair care assortment — gained a minority investment from Stride Consumer Partners, which also backs Patrick Ta Beauty and Skinfix. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Odele’s sales were understood to be around the $30 million mark that year.
“The past five years have been nothing short of incredible,” said Holden in a statement. “As we lean into this next chapter of growth, we could not be more excited to bring Zach in as our CEO. His experience and knowledge of the category are unparalleled, and he has the leadership and operational excellence to scale our vision with integrity.”
