Coty names HSU alum Shannon Curtin senior VP 
Shannon Curtin, a 1999 graduate of Henderson State University, will join Coty North America this month as senior vice president of its new Consumer Beauty division. COTY has built a unique portfolio of beauty brands that have produced some of the strongest consumer franchises in history.
Coty is merging with Proctor & Gamble Specialty Beauty later this year. After the merger, Coty will be organized into three divisions, including Consumer Beauty. Curtin will be based in Coty’s New York office.
Curtin was previously group vice president and general merchandising manager for beauty and personal care at Walgreens corporate headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. Her team was responsible for purchasing the beauty and personal care merchandise for Walgreen’s 8,229 stores.
After leaving Walgreens eight months ago, Curtin created a consulting company advising retailers, manufacturers, and private equity firms.
Curtin, who earned a B.A. in business from Henderson, joined Walgreens in 2009 after working for Walmart in Bentonville. She began her beauty career selling prestige fragrance in her hometown department store. Since then, she has held numerous merchandising positions.
Curtin serves on the board of CEW, and is a member of the Chicago Art Institute Auxiliary Board. In 2013, Beauty Inc. named Curtin one of its “Top 40 under 40,” and MMR noted her as one of the “Most Influential Women in Retail,” both in 2013 and 2014.
Diversity Magazine named Curtin to its 2014 Women Worth Watching List, and she was named one of the “50 Most Influential People in Beauty” by Women’s Wear Daily.
Last fall, Henderson inducted Curtin into the Academy of Scholars, which is comprised of Henderson graduates who have gained distinction in their professional fields.