Prime Highlights-
- Björn Axén names Onur Aktas as chief executive to lead the Swedish hair brand’s global expansion and international growth plans.
- Aktas brings over two decades of beauty leadership from YSL, Givenchy Beauty, Kenzo and Benefit Cosmetics to the Stockholm-based label.
Key Facts-
- Johan Hellström moves into a creative director role after leading the brand as longtime CEO and owner.
- Björn Axén offers 80 products, including its bestselling Repair Shampoo and Repair Bonding Serum.
Background-
Swedish hair brand Björn Axén has named Onur Aktas as its new chief executive officer, as the Stockholm-based label sets its sights on global growth. Aktas will take up the role before the year ends.
Aktas brings more than two decades of experience in beauty and fashion. He has held senior roles at YSL, Givenchy Beauty and Kenzo. Most recently, he spent two and a half years as executive vice president and global chief commercial officer at Benefit Cosmetics.
He succeeds Johan Hellström, the longtime CEO and brand owner, who will move into a creative director role. Hellström inherited the brand from its late founder, Björn Axén, and he believes international expansion could lift revenues tenfold.
Björn Axén, a hairdresser to royalty, founded the label in 1963. The brand now offers 80 products, including its bestselling Repair Shampoo at $26 and Repair Bonding Serum at $38. It holds strong roots in Sweden, where it runs two flagship salons, and its next chapter focuses on building that recognition worldwide.
Hellström recalled that a journalist once told him he held the best-kept secret of Scandinavia in his hands. Its new leaders intend to take that Scandinavian favorite beyond its home market and onto the world stage.
Alongside the new CEO, the brand will unveil a fresh visual identity and a new flagship store, marking the start of its next growth phase.
