Ella’s first lady – Pippa Hallas
Pippa Hallas certainly makes no apologies for being CEO of the business her father owns. But there’s no doubt working in a family business comes with many challenges, not least having to prove you deserve to be there on your own merits and not just because of your name.
The 35 year old only made the leap into the family business five years ago, following a successful career in advertising both here and in the UK. “I was 30 and I decided it was now or never,” she says. “The family business has always been very much a part of me,” said Hallas, who used to fill bottles of product in the school holidays. “I was never pushed into it. My father was always very open and kept me involved. It’s lovely that even now there are people working for us who were there when I was five years old.
“There was a lot of anticipation, especially from myself and non-family members. In hindsight it was pretty huge to go from the corporate advertising world where everyone knows you for your job title and role, to all of a sudden having a profile because of who you are as a family member. It requires a level of emotional awareness to be able to deal with that transition. You have to be really sure about who you are what you want. You’re given a great opportunity but there’s an enormous expectation placed on you. Essentially, you have to work a lot harder.”
She adds: “You have to be clear what the business’ principals are but keep innovating so the business can thrive through the generations. We have very clear corporate governance and structure and business principals in place.”
Hallas, who entered the business as marketing manager and is now CEO, has her feet firmly on the ground and nobody could argue she hasn’t brought value. It was she who decided to sponsor Jessica Watson’s yacht, which came to be known as Ella’s Pink Lady around the world. Much as she knew it was an almost equally brilliant and risky PR and marketing opportunity, nobody knew quite how significant the return on investment would end up being.
A history of strong women
Many people don’t realise Ella Baché is an Aussie business and it has a fascinating history, with Hallas following in the footsteps of many strong women before her. The late Ella Baché, a forward-thinking pharmacist, started the brand in Paris with Pippa’s great aunt, beauty therapist Edith Hallas. Following the war, in the early 50s, Baché moved to New York and Hallas to Australia, where she set up the brand with her husband George. Their son John (Pippa’s dad) is today chairman and sole shareholder. Their very first stockist was David Jones department stores, where Ella Baché beauty therapists remain a permanent fixture.
Today, there are more than 200 Ella Baché salons across Australia and New Zealand, around 70 percent of which are owned by franchisees. The Ella Baché College of Skin and Beauty Therapy in North Sydney is thriving and products are sold across the world. Revenue was up five percent in the last financial year, at a time when the skincare industry as a whole made a loss.