The Honest Company, a digitally-native consumer products company dedicated to creating clean- and sustainably-designed products spanning baby care, beauty, personal care, wellness and household care, announced that experienced innovator, lifestyle brand builder and established CPG business operator Kate Barton has joined the organization as its chief growth officer.

“Kate is the best kind of triple-threat. She brings a strong track record of scaling omnichannel founder-built brands, elevating high-profile beauty businesses and growing classic CPG portfolios. As we step into a new stage of unleashing the strength of the Honest brand, Kate’s leadership will drive growth ideas that inspire the loyalty and imagination of our discerning and passionate consumers,” says Carla Vernón, CEO of The Honest Company. “As a leader, brand builder and mother of three little ones, Kate’s signature combination of heart and horsepower has allowed her to grow clean, natural and lifestyle brands in beauty, food and home categories through e-commerce, physical retail and modern content channels. We are thrilled that Kate will lead the next stage of Honest’s growth and our mission to make the best products for people who love living consciously.”

Reporting directly to Vernón, Barton will work alongside Honest’s executive leadership team to execute the company’s new Transformation Initiative, which focuses on three primary pillars – Brand Maximization, Margin Enhancement and Operating Discipline. Barton will oversee Honest’s baby, beauty, wellness, personal care and household care categories. She will also guide the company’s Honest.com, creative design and communications teams.

“Kate is the ideal leader to serve as our first-ever chief growth officer, with her expertise in omnichannel marketing and intuitive ability to unlock the power and potential of a brand through her deep understanding of consumer dynamics and preferences,” says Jessica Alba, founder and chief creative officer of The Honest Company. “In addition to her impressive background, Kate is also deeply passionate about cultivating brands that positively impact our society and communities, which is at the heart of our company ethos. I look forward to working alongside her as we bring Honest to its next chapter.”

Barton joins Honest from her recent role as chief brand officer of Magnolia, the lifestyle company founded by Joanna and Chip Gaines. In this role, Barton led high-performing teams across marketing, creative and design. Barton was foundational to optimizing the company’s brand strategy, omnichannel content, direct-to-consumer programming and the successful launch of Magnolia Network, a collection of original programming in partnership with Warner Brothers Discovery.

Barton has deep experience in beauty and skincare from her time as the executive director of marketing for Estee Lauder’s Aveda brand, where she was responsible for driving year-over-year share growth across North American B2B and B2C channels. Prior to her leadership of Aveda, Barton was at Johnson & Johnson, where she managed global campaigns for Clean & Clear and led Neutrogena’s global anti-aging innovation pipeline. She also worked on many leading food brands at General Mills including leadership of the Nature Valley business where she accelerated sales to nearly 15% year-over-year.

“As someone passionate about building brands with story and impact, I could not be more thrilled to join The Honest Company,” says Barton. “I believe that brands need to be rooted in purpose and supported by a talented team working to keep that purpose authentic. Together with Carla, Jessica and the rest of the Honest team, I am excited to see all the ways that we will grow this brand in its next chapter.”