Shauna has been Lush’s Head of the human resource function (called People and Culture at Lush) since September, 2015. She is a Senior Human Resources professional with extensive experience in strategic culture and leadership development, employment branding, and team development. Shauna has experience in multi unit operations in restaurant, hotel, manufacturing and retail businesses. She has a broad generalist experience with P&L and strategy development/execution accountability. Shauna is committed to organizational development that honours the needs of multiple stakeholders and creates space for the human spirit to thrive in business.
Since its humble beginnings in 1997, LUSH has developed from a small, quirky chain to a growing international enterprise focused on producing creative and indulgent cosmetics and bath products using only the freshest organic fruits and vegetables, pure essential oils, and safe synthetics. Not just about selling soap, Lush’s culture is one of activism – leaving the world better by fighting animal testing, using in-shop and online campaigns to bring awareness to and financially support causes that highlight animal and human rights and environmental sustainability. Over the past eight years in North America, LUSH has grown exponentially, expanding from 40 predominately Canadian stores to over 250 stores with the majority in the US, while continuing to increase same-stores sales. The retail stores and online sales are serviced by two manufacturing and distribution sites. LUSH currently employs 7,000 – 12,000 people in its North American operations, depending on the time of year.
Lush is a business that prides itself on ‘doing business differently’, and avoided having a human resource function until 2015, as the founders were concerned that ‘HR would wreck the culture’. That said, given the projected continued growth of the business and in recognition of a need for a more strategic focus on its talent strategies, the founders decided it was time to add an executive who could support the culture through a people-centric approach to supporting the business evolution.
Shauna is a proud holder of her CPHR, and received her Business Entrepreneurship Certificate at Capilano University in 2010, her Graduate Certificate in HR Strategy at Royal Roads University in 2011 and her MBA HR, at Royal Roads University in 2013. She was awarded the Chancellors Award for Academic Excellence, and the Founders Award for Leadership.