Topicals Founder Olamide Olowe Steps Down as CEO: Ex-Fenty Executive Sukiana Chancy Takes the Lead

Olamide Olowe, the trailblazing founder behind the viral skincare brand Topicals, has officially stepped down as Chief Executive Officer. Taking over the position is Sukiana Chancy, a high-profile beauty executive who previously served as the general manager of skin, hair, and fragrance at Fenty Beauty.

Olowe is not leaving the company she built from scratch. Instead, she is stepping into the role of Chairwoman. This transition allows her to focus on long-term vision and strategy while Chancy manages daily business operations and spearheads global expansion.

This major leadership change marks a defining moment for Topicals. In less than six years, the brand has grown from a bold startup into the fastest-growing skincare line at Sephora. With an experienced executive from one of the world’s biggest beauty brands stepping in, Topicals is positioning itself to become an international market leader.

The Breaking Announcement: A Major Shift in the Beauty World

The skincare industry took notice when Topicals announced its new corporate structure. Olamide Olowe made the decision after recognizing that the brand had reached a milestone requiring specialized operational expertise to grow even further.

Olowe explained that her goal was always to build something that could outgrow any single individual. She wanted a business partner who knew how to scale a company to massive global heights.

“I wanted to partner with someone who has worked their way up through marketing, built a global brand, and managed a profit-and-loss sheet much larger than ours,” Olowe shared during the announcement.

Sukiana Chancy expressed equal excitement about joining the team. Leaving a top role at Fenty Beauty was not an easy choice, but the opportunity to lead Topicals was too strong to pass up.

Writing on social media, Chancy noted that she never expected to leave her dream job at Fenty Beauty. However, she welcomed the chance to work alongside Olowe and help build on the foundation already created.

The news was first highlighted in major industry outlets like Essence Magazine and Fast Company, sparking widespread conversation among entrepreneurs and skincare fans alike.

Why Olamide Olowe Decided to Step Aside

Many founders struggle to pass the baton, but Olowe has always taken a practical approach to leadership. She started Topicals to solve real skincare problems for marginalized communities. Once the business proved its success in North America, scaling it globally became the logical next step.

Building a startup requires a specific set of skills, such as creative thinking, fundraising, and brand building. Scaling a multi-million-dollar brand across international borders requires a completely different playbook. It involves managing complex distribution networks, supply chains, and global compliance regulations.

Instead of trying to learn every operational skill on the fly, Olowe chose to bring in a leader who had already mastered those exact challenges.

This decision shows a rare level of self-awareness. Olowe recognized that stepping into the Chairwoman role would give her the freedom to work on high-level strategy without getting bogged down by daily administrative tasks.

Her primary objective remains clear: to take Topicals from its current position as Sephora’s fastest-growing skincare brand to the number one skincare brand overall.

Who Is Sukiana Chancy? Meet Topicals’ New CEO

Sukiana Chancy brings a wealth of executive experience to her new role as CEO. Before stepping into Topicals, she served as the general manager overseeing skin, hair, and fragrance categories at Fenty Beauty.

During her tenure at Fenty Beauty, Chancy helped guide product lines that reshaped the global beauty market. Her background covers almost every major corner of the personal care industry.

A Proven Track Record in Personal Care

Chancy has spent years building and managing top-tier cosmetic brands. Her extensive resume includes executive leadership and brand development roles across notable companies:

• Fenty Beauty: Spearheaded major operational strategy across skincare, fragrance, and hair lines.
• Cay Skin: Helped oversee brand development and market positioning.
• DevaCurl: Focused on marketing strategy and scaling product reach.
• Estée Lauder Companies: Built foundational corporate experience in global beauty marketing and profit-and-loss management.

Chancy’s background makes her uniquely qualified to manage the rapid growth Topicals is currently experiencing. She understands how to take a culturally relevant brand and scale its footprint worldwide while maintaining product quality and brand integrity.

The Rise of Topicals: From Pitching Investors to Sephora Stardom

To appreciate why this leadership move is so significant, it helps to look back at how Topicals began. Olamide Olowe launched the brand in 2020 at just 23 years old.

As a young Black founder dealing with chronic skin conditions like hyperpigmentation and eczema, Olowe noticed a clear gap in the market. Most skincare products targeted toward dark spots were either hidden in plain packaging or failed to cater to skin of color.

Olowe wanted to create vibrant, scientifically backed products that made people feel good about their skin, even during flare-ups.

Overcoming Pitch Meetings and Raising Venture Capital

Getting investors to buy into her vision was not easy. Olowe sat through nearly one hundred pitch meetings before securing her first investor.

Her persistence paid off in a historic way. In 2020, she became the youngest Black woman to raise over two million dollars in venture capital. By 2022, she expanded that total to over ten million dollars, making history once again.

The brand attracted a star-studded list of angel investors and supporters, including:

• Kelly Rowland
• Gabrielle Union
• Issa Rae
• Angel Reese
• Rema

With products like Faded Brightening and Clearing Gel and Like Butter Hydrating Mask, Topicals rapidly went viral on social media. Customers loved the colorful packaging, transparent ingredients, and visible results.

Within a few short years, Topicals earned a coveted spot on Sephora shelves and quickly became one of the retailer’s most popular skincare offerings.

What Changes for Topicals Customers?

When a popular brand changes leadership, customers often wonder if the products or company values will change. In this case, the shift is designed to improve availability and product development without changing what makes the brand unique.

Olowe’s ongoing presence as Chairwoman ensures that the core mission remains the same. Topicals will continue to focus on inclusive formulas specifically tested on skin of color.

Upcoming Global Expansion Plans

With Chancy running daily operations, Topicals is preparing to launch aggressively into new international territories. The brand is targeting expanded distribution across:

1. Europe
2. The Middle East
3. Africa

Fans of the brand outside North America will soon find it much easier to purchase products locally rather than paying international shipping fees.

Continued Product Innovation

Topicals is also expanding its clinical skincare offerings. The brand recently introduced its Faded Dark Spot Peel Pads, which it describes as one of its most scientific formulations to date.

Chancy’s experience with global regulatory standards will help streamline future product launches, bringing new skincare solutions to shelves faster than before.

Smart Founder Strategy: Knowing When to Pass the Torch

Olamide Olowe’s transition offers a practical lesson in modern business strategy. Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of believing they must handle every role inside their company forever.

However, true business growth often requires delegation. By building a strong core business and handing execution to an experienced corporate veteran, founders can protect their energy and focus on big-picture expansion.

We see similar principles at play across modern digital businesses. Whether someone is launching a physical product or exploring digital platforms like YouTube Automation, scaling effectively requires setting up reliable systems and putting the right tools in place.

In the modern creator and business economy, leveraging advanced systems like Technology and AI allows creators to automate routine processes so they can focus on creativity and strategy—much like Olowe is doing with her executive team.

The Broader Vision: Olamide Olowe’s Multi-Brand Strategy

Stepping back from the daily CEO duties at Topicals also gives Olowe the flexibility to build broader business initiatives.

Alongside Topicals President Sochi Mbadugha, Olowe co-founded Cost of Doing Business (CODB), a holding company designed to support and acquire culture-driven brands.

Through CODB, Olowe recently acquired Bread Beauty Supply, a popular textured haircare brand founded by Maeva Heim.

Instead of absorbing the brand and changing its core identity, CODB provided financial infrastructure and strategic scaling while keeping Heim on as Chief Creative Officer.

Olowe’s vision extends far beyond a single skincare line. She is actively creating an ecosystem where Black-owned and diverse beauty brands can receive long-term funding, proper management, and global retail space.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why did Olamide Olowe step down as CEO of Topicals?

Olamide Olowe stepped down to bring in an executive with deep experience in global brand marketing and large-scale profit-and-loss management. As Topicals expands globally, bringing in a seasoned operational leader allows the brand to scale faster and more efficiently.

Who is the new CEO of Topicals?

Sukiana Chancy is the new CEO of Topicals. She previously served as the general manager for skin, hair, and fragrance at Fenty Beauty and brings years of senior executive experience across major beauty corporations.

What is Olamide Olowe’s new role at Topicals?

Olamide Olowe is now serving as the Chairwoman of Topicals. In this role, she remains deeply involved in the brand’s long-term vision, creative direction, and strategic growth without handling daily operational tasks.

Is Topicals launching in new countries?

Yes, Topicals is planning major international expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa under Sukiana Chancy’s leadership.

Will Topicals products change with a new CEO?

No, the core product formulations and company mission will remain the same. The leadership transition is focused on improving distribution, supply chain management, and international retail reach.

What This Means for the Future of Inclusive Beauty

Olamide Olowe’s move to bring Sukiana Chancy on board as CEO marks a mature, strategic milestone for Topicals. It proves that culture-led startups can transition smoothly into major global corporations without losing their original identity.

By combining Olowe’s creative vision with Chancy’s operational leadership, Topicals is setting a bold standard for how modern beauty brands operate. As the brand expands into international stores, its message of skin positivity and inclusive care will reach more customers worldwide.

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