On Tuesday, 2nd December, CEW UK hosted its 24th annual CEW Achiever Awards, bringing together members and guests from across the industry to celebrate the shining stars of the British beauty scene. The awards, launched in 2002, recognise outstanding talent and contributions to the beauty industry.
CEW UK has grown to become the most influential beauty organisation promoting and defining the British beauty industry and supporting individuals and businesses from across the sector. We are delighted to announce the recipients of these coveted accolades after this year’s ceremony at The Rosewood London Hotel.
Images from The Achiever Awards can be found here.
The CEW Achiever Awards Brochure can be found here.
Honouring the Legacy of Mr Leonard A. Lauder
This year, the Board of CEW UK presented a special Posthumous Icon Award to the late Mr Leonard A. Lauder, recognising his extraordinary contribution to the global beauty industry and his longstanding support of CEW UK. As Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies, Mr Lauder helped transform a family business into a global powerhouse and set new standards for prestige beauty worldwide.
From CEW UK’s earliest days, he was a steadfast champion of our community, encouraging and supporting the growth of our network and its mission. By honouring him with this Posthumous Icon Award at the 2025 CEW UK Achiever Awards, we celebrate a visionary leader whose impact will be felt across the industry for generations to come.
The Recipients Included:
Achievers
Anabel Kindersley, CEO and Co-Owner, Neal’s Yard Remedies
Since becoming Co-Owner of Neal’s Yard Remedies in 2006, and more recently stepping into the role of CEO, Anabel Kindersley has led the pioneering British modern apothecary through a period of thoughtful evolution. With a background as a teacher, homeopath and author, she brings a holistic, purpose-led approach to leadership that mirrors the brand’s ethos: Beauty Without Compromise.
Under her direction, Neal’s Yard Remedies has deepened its commitment to ethical sourcing, sustainable production, and clinically proven formulations, which are still made in the eco-manufacturing facility in Dorset.
A passionate advocate for biodiversity, Anabel founded the #StandByBees campaign, leading a coalition of over 100 British businesses and NGOs working to protect pollinators to secure the UK’s 2025 ban on bee-killing pesticides. Through her leadership, she continues to demonstrate how integrity and environmental responsibility can shape both business and beauty.
Anna Ohlsson -Baskerville, Partner, Unilever Ventures
Anna is a Partner at Unilever Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Unilever Group, which she joined in 2003 after seven years in investment banking and venture capital in London. For the past twelve years, Anna has focussed on investments in Beauty and Wellbeing in Europe and North America, where she works closely with founders and portfolio companies as a non-executive director and investor. In the UK, Anna is highly engaged with the early-stage beauty ecosystem and currently works with Trinny London, Luna Daily and indu, having previously represented Unilever Ventures’ as an investor in Curlsmith and Gallinée, from investment to exit. Anna is Swedish and lived in France prior to starting her career in the UK.
Jamie Genevieve, Founder, VIEVE
Based in Scotland, Jamie’s talent and passion for make-up convinced her to train as a professional artist after leaving school. While studying, she gained essential experience working on counter for a luxury cosmetics brand in Glasgow; the interaction with customers and clients inspired such confidence and positivity, that her popularity, talent as a communicator and skills as an artist organically led her to start sharing her knowledge online. Jamie has worked closely with key international brand partners during her career and her global success is often attributed to her talent, hard work, grounded nature and the mutual respect she shares with her loyal followers and her VIEVE community. Jamie has a combined social following of over 2.7 million.
Jamie launched VIEVE 5 years ago (www.vievebeauty.com). A beauty brand that was launched during the pandemic but is quickly becoming one of the most coveted makeup brands available. Known for its luxurious formulas, powerful pigments and modern approach to beauty – created by an expert make-up artist that has the knowledge of what her community want. A versatile, award winning range which caters to all ages, races and genders. Each one of the high-performance products, such as the award winning Skin Nova are vegan as well as cruelty, paraben and gluten free. Stocked in retailers such as SpaceNK, Sephora, Harrods and Cult Beauty & sold worldwide.
Ruby Hammer, MBE, Founder, Ruby Hammer Ltd
With a career spanning over four decades, Ruby Hammer MBE has built a reputation for artistry, innovation, and authenticity. As a makeup artist, her work has graced countless editorial shoots, fashion shows, and red carpets, earning her recognition as a trusted expert and creative force.
An entrepreneur as well as an artist, Ruby helped introduce and launch iconic international brands including Aveda and L’Occitane within the UK, before co-founding the pioneering British brand Ruby & Millie, which redefined the beauty landscape by championing inclusivity and education long before they became industry standards.
From red carpets to real-life moments, Ruby’s work connects artistry with everyday confidence. As the original makeup artist on 10 Years Younger, she brought her skill and empathy to the general public, helping individuals rediscover their confidence and joy through the transformative power of makeup.
Today, through Ruby Hammer Beauty, she combines her professional expertise with a modern, streamlined approach — creating high-performance essentials that celebrate individuality and make beauty feel joyful, effortless, and empowering.
Honoured with an MBE for services to the cosmetics industry, Ruby continues to inspire generations to view beauty as an act of self-expression, celebrating their unique beauty and enhancing what they have rather than masking it.
Special Industry
Ajay Sethi, CEO of Tweezerman UK
Ajay Sethi, is the CEO of Tweezerman UK, a leading force in the Beauty Tools industry and home to two powerhouse brands: Tweezerman and TRUYU. Under Ajay’s leadership, The Iconic and multi award winning Tweezerman brand is the UK’s number one Beauty Tools brand by value, and TRUYU, the number one Beauty Tools brand by volume. These brands are now sold in 67 countries worldwide, with a continued and steadfast commitment to Quality and Innovation, with the Beauty Consumer being the heart of absolutely everything that it does.
Ajay began his Tweezerman UK journey in 2004, launching the business from his bedroom in Nottingham after the company he previously worked for went into administration. Armed with a 1st Class Degree and an MBA, he set out with a clear mission: to become “The Beauty Tools Experts” offering “Best-in-class Beauty Tools” made from the highest-grade materials by highly skilled people. His mantra has remained unchanged: “To Bring the Beauty Shopper’s Voice Upstream.” In 2013, Tweezerman UK entered a new exciting chapter when it was acquired by the Zwilling Beauty Group and a new UK Joint Venture was set up. Tweezerman UK is now part of the globally respected Werhahn Group, a privately owned German conglomerate with a turnover of €4.5 billion. Today, Ajay continues to lead the UK operations from the Nottingham head office, where the global brand team for TRUYU is also based.
Tweezerman UK is proud to have driven significant growth in the Beauty Tools category for every retail partner it has ever collaborated with. Beyond the boardroom, Ajay is a passionate advocate for giving back, one of his core personal values. He is a Trustee of the Nottingham-based charity Our Dementia Choir, founded by the actress Vicky McClure. The choir uses the power of music to support people living with dementia, offering connection, joy, and to raise increased awareness about the condition.
Ajay also supports the philanthropic work of the Zwilling Foundation in India, whose ZWILLING Care initiative has, since 2011, empowered young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with disabilities to gain independence through vocational training. A long-time resident of West Bridgford, Nottingham, Ajay has lived there for 25 years with his wife, Neeshi. They are proud parents to two adult children: a 25-year-old son working in the Legal Tech sector and a 23-year-old daughter pursuing a career in the Beauty Industry, a fitting continuation of the family passion. Ajay Sethi is a purpose-driven leader who blends commercial success with a genuine desire to make a difference, both in the wonderful world of Beauty and the wider community.
Andy Lightfoot, CEO Space NK
Andy Lightfoot is a career retailer counting Dixons, Tesco and WHSmith amongst his former employers. Joining Amazon in 2009 he was part of the rapid expansion in the UK setting up their first digital service, “Amazon MP3” laying the foundations that evolved Prime deliveries into the eco-system it is today across film, music and digital services. In addition, Andy ran categories across media and consumer electronics as well as leading a host of pan-European projects. Leaving in 2014 and via 18 months at Arcadia Andy joined Space NK where, from the initial position of Digital Director was promoted to CEO in 2019, leading a commercial and cultural evolution championing omni-channel and galvanising teams around a customer-first approach. Acquired by Ulta Beauty in 2025, Andy now sits on the Ulta executive board.
Members’ Achiever
James Read, Founder and CEO of Self Glow by James Read
We’re thrilled to announce that James Read, Founder of Self Glow by James Read, will be honoured with the Members’ Achiever Award at the 2025 CEW UK Achiever Awards. A visionary force in beauty, James has turned the art of sunless tanning into a global movement that celebrates confidence, creativity, and individuality. With more than two decades of expertise, his pioneering “skin-first” philosophy has redefined what it means to glow, creating products that not only look natural but also care deeply for the skin.
From launching the multi-award-winning James Read Tan to unveiling Self Glow in 2024, James continues to set new standards in luxury tanning and skincare innovation. His artistry has graced red carpets, fashion runways, and some of the world’s most recognisable faces, earning him a global reputation as one of beauty’s true trailblazers.
Young Achiever in partnership with COTY
Daisy Kelly, Founder & CEO of Glow For It
We’re thrilled to announce that Daisy Kelly, Founder & CEO of Glow For It, will be honoured with the Young Achiever Award at the 2025 CEW UK Achiever Awards.
Celebrating rising leaders shaping the future of beauty through impact and purpose, the CEW UK Young Achiever Award honours the next generation transforming the industry. A pioneering force in social-first beauty, Daisy has transformed a deeply personal journey into one of the UK’s fastest-rising success stories. What began as her search for a solution to anxiety-induced lash loss has evolved into a brand built on innovation, transparency, and unwavering community spirit.
Since launching Glow For It, Daisy has cultivated a community of over 200,000 beauty lovers, sold more than 230,000 lash serums on TikTok Shop alone, and led the brand to become the #1 bestselling lash growth serum on TikTok UK. Her authentic connection with customers and commitment to education-led content have reshaped what modern beauty brands can be – inclusive, trust-driven, and rooted in real results.
Now expanding into skincare, Daisy continues to champion empowerment and self-belief, proving that when beauty is guided by purpose and community, its impact reaches far beyond the product.
Digital Innovation, in partnership with SoPost
Renude, AI Skin Chat
We are delighted to announce Renude as the recipient of the 2025 CEW UK Digital Innovation Award, in partnership with SoPost.
Renude’s pioneering AI Skin Chat is an expert AI skin consultant, scaled to every customer and transforming beauty e-commerce – delivering personalised, expert skincare advice in real time, built by dermatologists, aestheticians, chemists, and data scientists.
Backed by more than 70 years of clinical expertise and 4 million data points, Renude’s AI Skin Chat analyses photos, reviews routines, and answers complex skincare questions, offering advice that’s not just tailored, but truly expert. It’s like having your own professional skin consultant, anytime, anywhere.
The team from SoPost and their panel of industry experts felt that Renude is setting a new benchmark for digital beauty, trusted advice, and customer empowerment, making them deserving of this recognition.
