Nicole Tan on leading Shiseido’s transformation in Asia

Nicole Tan is Shiseido’s first female regional CEO. She is credited with leading the transformation effort for Shiseido Asia Pacific from 2020, which saw significant market share increases across its brand sets and strengthened its position as a valued employer.

In this exclusive interview, Nicole shares her inspiring journey—from breaking into the once “closed” beauty industry to leading a regional transformation, the misconceptions surrounding female leadership, and the future of beauty in an era shaped by technology, inclusivity, and sustainability.

What motivated you to enter the beauty industry?

I was a business student who majored in marketing and I started my career with a consumer business in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. I had always aspired towards working for a well-known brand. I wanted to be part of a change agent, of what could shape consumer needs, wants and preferences.

After a few years in FMCG, I wanted to find a way to connect my passion and interests with my career. That was what prompted me to look at beauty. I thought this would be a category I would understand very well as a consumer myself. As I was growing up, I had also spent years reading up about trends and innovations in beauty and was innately drawn towards it. Hence, the move to pivot to the beauty industry.

How did you get your start in the industry?

When I graduated almost 30 years ago, the consumer beauty business was a very ‘closed’ circle. People moved within the circle and companies rarely hired fresh graduates or anyone without prior beauty experience. So I needed someone to give me a break in the industry.

I made a list of all the companies I felt I would be very motivated to work for. I sent my resume to the HR departments via local courier services to ensure they would not land in the pile of unattended resumes sent via regular slow mail – at the time, we submitted resumes via post! Finally, hard work and persistence paid off and within a few months, L’Oreal offered me the role of Brand Manager for L’Oreal Paris cosmetics in the Consumer Products Division. I’ve not looked back since.

What has been your proudest moment since entering the beauty scene?

It’s hard to think of a singular moment but I’ll share a few significant ones such as being offered the opportunity to lead the APAC region at Shiseido as the first woman regional CEO for the company. Together with our regional and market teams, I’m proud to have led the transformation effort for Shiseido Asia Pacific from 2020 which saw significant market share increases across our brand sets and strengthened our position as a valued employer.

Also, over the last couple of years, four of our markets/affiliates including Shiseido’s regional headquarters, which is based in Singapore, were awarded the “Great Place To Work” certification. Many of our operational processes as well as key initiatives for our brands and our people in the region have been recognised as Best Practice within the global organisation.

Prior to Shiseido, I was proud to be selected as one of the top 20 global leaders in my previous company. And, earlier on in my career, I piloted many ‘firsts’ with my teams.

Did you face any challenges along the way?

Yes, of course. I joined Shiseido during the pandemic. Taking on a new role at a time when businesses were grappling with a myriad of uncertainties and navigating a new organisation was definitely not easy. Having to operate fully remote and not being able to connect in-person with the teams meant I had to work extra hard to find ways to build connection and trust with our people across the region and globally

At the start of my career in the beauty industry, I didn’t have much resources at my disposal. I had to operate solo and not only was there a steep learning curve, I had to be very inventive and find ways to navigate a large and complex organisation to get things done in an agile manner.

I also faced challenges with being a relatively young leader. I had to work with industry veterans who had many more years of experience but were reporting to me. I had to understand how to leverage their know-how while also building the trust and conviction to respect me as their leader.

At times, I have been the only woman leader operating at a senior level in a commercial role – and having to break through the silos of a ‘mens’ club’.

As a female leader, are there any misconceptions that you’d like to dispel?

Broadly speaking, there are some misconceptions these days that female leaders are being put in place to satisfy DEI quotas and requirements that company boards want to see. I think this greatly undermines the capability and capacity of female leadership.

Many, if not all, of the female leaders I know have put in the years and hours to perfect our work while balancing the needs of our personal lives, especially as working mothers or caregivers. We should not be brushed aside as a statistical criteria to meet boards’ requirements or just fulfilling organisational KPIs.

What advice would you give to your younger self and other women who are looking to be a part of the beauty industry?

I would say learn voraciously and not just from within the industry. Draw parallels from other related or unrelated industries. In the context of beauty, this could be from fashion or luxury or technology. This will provide insights and learnings beyond just the beauty category which can then enable a more macro point of view and a better ability to think outside the box.

The beauty category is extremely exciting and fast moving, hence I would say always maintain your natural curiosity about the consumer and how the larger environment and global developments are impacting consumer behaviours and trends.

What kind of changes can we look forward to in the beauty landscape? How is Shiseido gearing up for them?

The beauty landscape today is much more complex than it used to be. Consumers’ mindset and behaviours are fast evolving, shaped by social media as well as greater exposure to and awareness of global beauty trends and brands. Consumption is also increasingly shaped by ones’ beliefs and value systems, especially in areas like sustainability, inclusivity and clean beauty. Beauty as a category is expanding – over the past few years, it has evolved to become a larger concept around personal wellness and ‘self-love’.

Shiseido has been around for more than 150 years, which is rare for a beauty company. A key part of that is our relentless focus on Innovation and R&D. Many of our innovations are harnessed from consumer insights as well as projections into future trends on consumer needs which may not have emerged yet. In APAC, we are studying emerging trends and accelerating innovations via our Korea Innovation Centre with the aim of leveraging key Korean beauty trends for Asia and for the world.

Photography Reuben Foong Assisted by Daniel West
Styling Lena Kaarudin, Assisted by Jeon Jae Won, Latisha Sonia Shaymentyran & Anis Nabilah
Hair Zhou Aiyi, using Keune Haircosmetics
Makeup Lasalle Lee, using Cle De Peau Beaute

To learn more about the 60 women who have shaped Singapore as we know it today, click here.