The British Beauty Council has appointed Victoria Brownlie in a newly created position of chief policy officer as the industry body looks to ratchet up its lobbying on behalf of the beauty sector, which is worth £30bn to the UK economy.
Victoria joins today from the National Hair & Beauty Federation where she was director of policy and public affairs – responsible for presenting the views of its members on issues such as wages, standards and tax to politicians. Victoria was also instrumental in securing vital support for the UK’s hair and beauty sector during the pandemic.
“Over the past three years our policy work has expanded to the point where we need a focused and dedicated expert to drive our visibility at government level forward. We have made a great deal of headway, but we must continue to build on this. Having worked closely with Victoria during the pandemic, she is the perfect person to help us make our sector’s voice heard.”
– Millie Kendall MBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council
The British beauty sector employs more than 600,000 people, of which more than 80 per cent are women. At £30bn, the beauty industry contributes more to the UK economy than pubs, which contribute £23bn a year.
Over the past year, the British Beauty Council has lobbied government on a £500m emergency fund, a VAT cut and business rates relief. It played a key role in securing the recent changes to the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Hairdressing, which now include the cutting and styling Afro and textured hair as a standard practice. In May, it launched the #OhHelloBeauty campaign to encourage people to return to hair and beauty salons – and help get high street and city centre businesses back on their feet following the easing of restrictions.
