Ulta Beauty has appointed Kelly Garcia as chief technology officer, effective August 31, 2026, strengthening its executive team as the retailer continues to invest in AI, digital innovation and its long-term Ulta Beauty Unleashed growth strategy.
Key Ulta Beauty Unleashed initiatives, outlined in March 2025, include:
- Deepen guest engagement through enhanced personalization, automation, and real-time content across digital channels.
- Accelerate digital efforts with new app and website features to elevate the guest experience.
- Enhance the Ulta Beauty Media platform with new product innovations and improved closed-loop measurement tools for brands.
In addition, among recent tech inituatives, Ulta has:
- launched Ulta AI, an online shopping assistant focused on product discovery and personalization,
- and integrated with AI ecosystems such as Google's Gemini to support emerging forms of AI-powered commerce.
Garcia, who has served on Ulta Beauty's board of directors since 2022, will step down from the board upon assuming the CTO role. He brings more than 25 years of technology leadership experience, most recently serving as executive vice president and CTO at Domino's Pizza, where he led the company's global technology strategy spanning e-commerce, customer experience, cybersecurity and digital innovation.
"Kelly has been an impactful member of our board of directors, providing valuable business insights and technology expertise, including perspectives on emerging technologies such as AI," said president and CEO Kecia Steelman. "With more than 25 years of leadership and broad experience across global e-commerce, customer loyalty, digital innovation and cybersecurity, Kelly will be a great addition to our team as we continue to advance our technology capabilities and execute our Ulta Beauty Unleashed strategy."
Before joining Domino's in 2012, Garcia served as vice president of business intelligence and North American operations at R. L. Polk & Company. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering from The Ohio State University.
