Jessica Gleeson, CEO of BrighterBeauty, is an experienced international executive with a passion for building and scaling brands.

A 20-year veteran of Starbucks, Jessica held a variety of leadership roles as the company grew from 50 stores in the US to 55 countries globally. This included Starbucks’ original market entry into China and initial expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.

Driven by her fascination with the rapidly changing retail landscape, Jessica relocated to China and helped grow three iconic brands – Starbucks, The Walt Disney Company and Claire’s Accessories. She served as International COO for Zambero and Pacific Springboard.

Founder of Experiential Retail, a global consulting firm that helps purpose-driven brands scale with integrity. Jessica serves in advisory roles for Atiom, Planet O, Urban Tuk-Tuk, Cindy Reid Global Golf and WhiteSpace. Jessica serves on the boards GloCoach and Flave. Jessica serves as the VP of The Asia New Retail Council, Shanghai Chapter and on the Asia-Pacific Employer Advisory Board for The University of Washington, Foster School of Business.

Jessica is passionate about the responsibility of women in leadership roles to engage and amplify other female business leaders. She works actively to advocate for placing women on executive boards, because the data shows it is just good business.

Favourite Quote: “If you see a problem and you are not actively working to solve the problem, you have just become part of the problem.” – Howard Schultz