Gisou appoints Sarah Watt as CEO

By Austyn King | Published: 6-Sep-2023

The L'Oréal and Charlotte Tilbury veteran will lead the honey-inspired beauty brand as it continues to expand its business

Gisou, the honey-inspired beauty brand, has appointed Sarah Watt as its new CEO.

Boasting more than 20 years in beauty, Watt has held leadership roles at the likes of L'Oréal and Charlotte Tilbury prior to joining Gisou last year as chair of the brand’s supervisory board.

She will now lead the luxury brand’s expansion efforts as it seeks to continue doubling its business year on year, including building Gisou’s brand community and ramping up its sustainability commitments.

Watt takes over the role from Melbert Visscher, who will take on the newly created position of Chief Finance and Operations Officer.

Visscher is said to have been instrumental in what the Netherlands-based brand described as its “astronomic” growth, leading the business to a CAGR of 101% as it approaches €100m in annual global sales.

“We are so proud to announce Sarah Watt as our CEO,” said Gisou’s founder Negin Mirsalehi.

“Sarah’s remarkable track record ensures Gisou is poised for yet another phase of accelerated growth, bringing bee-centred beauty with our proprietary Mirsalehi honey to our global community in a responsible way.” 

Watt’s appointment comes after the brand landed a minority investment from Parisian investment group Eurazeo last year.

Founded by Dutch-Persian influencer Mirsalehi alongside her partner Maurits Stibbe in 2015, Gisou has been a social media hit with Gen Z and millennials with its honey-infused hair care, face and lip oil products.

The brand currently has retail deals with Sephora, Galeries Lafayette, Selfridges, Douglas and Mecca, with its products containing honey from the Mirsalehi family’s bee garden.

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