P EO P L E FI R ST
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Peer Profile
Leading with a Steady Hand
MARTIN OKNER
President & COO, dpHUE
BY KATHRYN MULLIGAN
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hen much of the economy shut down in the spring of 2020, it sparked a run on essentials—canned food, toilet paper, and for some, hair color. Stylists across the country shut their doors while their patrons scrambled for at-home alternatives from beauty brands like dpHUE, which saw demand surge during the pandemic. “Obviously when salons closed, there was a massive rush toward hair color and color maintenance products because nobody wanted to go gray, even in lockdowns, right?” says Martin Okner, dpHUE’s president and chief operating officer. The company’s offerings—which include products that preserve and boost color, touch-up roots and maintain overall hair health—had become a hot commodity. That proved to be both a blessing and a challenge, one that required the steady leadership style that Okner has honed throughout his career. Since Okner joined Minneapolis-headquartered dpHUE five years ago, the company has achieved almost 10x sales growth. He oversees the company’s core growth strategies, as well as all finance and operations functions. He estimates
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that digital strategy now accounts for about 75% of his time, which includes supporting the digital side of dpHUE through business strategy, analytics and financial reporting. The company, which was founded in 2011, sells directly to consumers on dphue.com, as well as through retailers like Ulta, Sephora and Amazon. It also sells its products to hair stylists and offers an app for salon professionals who want to sell dpHUE products to their clients in exchange for a commission. The increased demand for hair care and color products during the lockdowns has remained strong as consumers continue to seek solutions to help maintain their hair color between salon visits, according to Okner. He adds that growth within the business is also being led by offerings like dpHUE’s Apple Cider Vinegar line and a hair brightening collection it launched last year with television personality Kristin Cavallari. That has all happened during a period of disrupted supply chains, something that dpHUE has had to manage carefully. The company has tried to get ahead of the disruption by “providing suppliers with advanced forecasts and looking at
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