Bolingbrook CEO honored at Housewares charity gala

BOLINGBROOK – Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta Beauty headquartered in Bolingbrook, was among those honored for their philanthropic endeavors by the Housewares Charity Foundation at its annual Housewares Cares Charity Gala in March at Navy Pier. The event overlapped the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.

Among the all-star chefs taking part in the gala were Paul Virant, whose restaurants include Vie in Western Springs, a news release stated.

Dillon received the Legacy Humanitarian Award at the event, which raised about $2 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

She joined Ulta Beauty as chief executive officer in 2013, bringing experience in leveraging customer-focused strategies to build brand engagement. Under Dillon’s direction, Ulta Beauty has achieved record sales, earnings and momentum in its e-commerce business, according to the release. She leads an associate base of more than 40,000, 92 percent of which are women.

Dillon was named No. 9 on Fortune Magazine’s 2018 Business Person of the Year list.

Dillon also serves on the board of directors of Starbucks Corp. and KKR. She championed the establishment of the Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation in 2016, and has continued to strengthen the company’s longstanding partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Ulta Beauty is one of BCRF’s top three corporate partners.

Dillon is involved in a number of nonprofit, civic and industry organizations, including serving as a board member for Save the Children, as vice chairman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association and on the civic committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago.