June Risser's tenure in skincare puts her among some of the best leaders in the space. She’s currently general manager of Crown Laboratories, a post she took on last year to lead the company's premium skincare business unit and the award-winning brands StriVectin and Vita Liberata. 

Prior, she was general manager of Galderma Laboratories, and under her leadership, sales of Cetaphil and Differin doubled. Her work in social media and influencer marketing on Cetaphil earned her a spot on Glossy Magazine’s Top 50 Beauty Executives of the Year in 2021. Risser is also an Rx-to-OTC switch expert; she led the Differin acne brand launch after its FDA approval. The brand rose to claim the No. 3 spot in retail acne. Risser also spent 12 years at Reckitt, working on brands like Lysol and Clearasil.

We had a chance to talk with Risser about great female leaders who have shaped her own leadership philosophy, taking risks, working in her family’s store in the Bronx, and what she loves about her team at Crown Laboratories—one of the fast-growing companies in the skincare category.

HAPPI: Tell me about some of the great female leaders you have worked with or known during your career and life—and what is it that you admire about them?

Risser: I have had the pleasure of working for and with great female leaders throughout my career. While very different, some traits united them such as intellectual curiosity. They all wanted to know their business deeply and gain expertise. When I was a brand manager for example, one female director once told me “no one should know more about your brand than you in this meeting with senior executives, who don’t spend 100% of their time on the brand- so have confidence in your recommendations and insights.” Also, female leaders I have worked with were open to different voices and did not only rely on a “tribe” of colleagues for input on decisions. One other trait is the desire to get to know me as a person and valuing my motherhood versus seeing it as something that negatively impacts my business performance. As a working mother of three boys, great female managers supported me and never implied that I could not do my job because I had a big family. Yet they also gave me flexibility when I needed it to leave early to see piano recitals and other precious moments.

HAPPI: Over the course of your career, how much change have you witnessed in terms of the number of women in leadership roles in the c-suite? How much further do we need to go? 

Risser: I have seen progress in women in leadership roles in my career; however, progress needs to be made, especially in senior level roles and boardroom seats. For example, in one multi-billion-dollar company I worked at, there was approximately a 50:50 balance between women and men in marketing roles up to the director level, however it dropped to less than 10% women in GM roles with P&L responsibilities. The key is for decision-makers to assess candidates first and foremost by their business accomplishments and ability to drive the business forward.

HAPPI: Do you have a leadership approach or philosophy?

Risser: One principle I feel is vital in leading is listening. Whenever I have changed companies or been promoted or joined a new collaborative work team, I always try to listen and learn, especially in the first 30-60-90 days in a new role. Also having a clear vision for where the team and business is headed – when you have a north star – it’s a unifying rallying cry for the entire organization.

HAPPI: Is there a misstep you made as a leader in which you would love a “do over”? What lessons did you learn from this experience?

Risser: One thing I would like to have done more of in my career is to take more risks. I feel I have taken my share or risks, such as raising my hand for opportunities including moving my husband and three little boys to the UK for an international assignment. However, I would have like to have taken more risks with bolder, bigger marketing campaigns on brands that were challenger brands and finding ways to break through with tiny marketing budgets.

HAPPI: If you only had 20 seconds in an elevator to share some “under radar” advice on being an effective leader, what would you say?

Risser: It’s OK to be vulnerable. Meaning when you need help, ask for it. Just because you may have a senior title, it takes many talented colleagues working together to solve tough business challenges.

HAPPI: What do you love about the team you work with right now at Crown Labs?

Risser: My team is amazing. Everyone who works on StriVectin and Vita Liberata has a genuine passion for helping consumers see real visible results from our science-based products. They are also constantly bringing me new ideas to grow the business. We take a test and learn approach to continue to win new consumers and delight our loyal consumers.

HAPPI: What has you most excited about Crown’s future in the premium skincare space?

Risser: I’m excited about our future at Crown Premium Skincare because we have amazing people, amazing products and an amazing pipeline of innovation. I want to emphasize the point about people because investing in the people can be considered a platitude that many companies say they do but as a leader I try to make it concrete. Communicate the vision clearly, spend time on coaching and giving feedback, and rewarding colleagues for achieving goals.

HAPPI: How can a leader—male or female—foster an atmosphere for a team to succeed?

Risser: Teams need clarity on the vision and the north star – a shared purpose no matter what function or role you are in. It’s also important to foster a culture that encourages a diversity of thinking and developing recommendations based on facts and consumer insights versus opinions.

HAPPI: How best can women empower other women in the workforce, and why is this so important?

Risser: I have found networking and learning from other women vital in my career, so I would say make time to help other women with questions they may have or give feedback when asked. Advice or a kind ear over a virtual coffee or lunch can be very meaningful. I have had many times when I have leaned into former female colleagues to bounce ideas off of that helps me with my strategic thinking.

HAPPI: What was your first ever job? Did you love it or hate it?

Risser: My first job after graduating from Princeton University was as an editorial assistant at the Foreign Policy Association in NYC, a non-profit dedicated to educating American citizens about foreign affairs. I loved it! My female manager, the editor-in-chief,was brilliant and I learned how to edit articles and tell stories in persuasive, easy to understand ways. I even got to publish two articles with input from foreign policy experts in the US government.

My first unpaid job was to work in my family business. My parents had a jewelry store called Royal Jewelry on Fordham Road in the Bronx for over 20 years. Starting as a teenager I helped after school and on weekends and even during my summers when at university. You can say I have a lot of retail sales experience in my blood—which was great training for a career in marketing!