Bath & Body Works CEO Gina Boswell ’89 Discusses Mission and Market
Boswell spoke at Yale SOM as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series. In a talk moderated by Dean Kerwin K. Charles, the Yale SOM alum discussed her time as a student, her career trajectory, and the values that inform her decisions as a business leader.
Social impact is woven into the core mission at Fortune 500 company Bath & Body Works, CEO Gina Boswell ’89 told a Yale SOM audience on April 18.
“I think considering your impact on both business and society is a sign today of enlightened leadership,” Boswell said. “At Bath & Body Works and throughout my career, I’ve always tried to leverage that lens in the work I do.”
Bath & Body Works, which has a large, loyal customer base, boasts a product portfolio that includes body, bath, personal care, and beauty products. It operates both physical and online stores. Boswell, a New Haven native, has been CEO and director since she joined the company in 2022.
“I knew it was an iconic brand and a global fragrance leader when I came on board,” Boswell said. “And I liked the opportunity of stepping into a space that combined a consumer brand with an elevated retail experience.”
Boswell spoke at Yale SOM as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Dean Kerwin K. Charles moderated a discussion that touched on Boswell’s time as a student, her career trajectory, and the values that inform her decisions as a business leader.
Before joining Bath & Body Works, Boswell was a senior executive with Unilever, where she led businesses in North America and the UK. She has also been an executive with Estée Lauder, Avon, and Ford Motor Company. In 2022, Boswell was awarded the Yale Medal, the highest alumni award honoring individual service to the university, and in 2023, she was appointed to the Yale Board of Trustees.
As a longtime fan of the Bath & Body Works product line, Boswell said, she brings “customer centricity” to her role. “I really, really do live and breathe the brand first as a consumer,” she said.
She also discussed the importance of risk-taking. “The biggest risk you take today is not taking risks at all,” she said, explaining that fast-paced change in the contemporary marketplace necessitates adaptation. “As a CEO, the risks you take cover a number of things,” she said. “The question is how do we mitigate risk and take informed risks.”
The event also included a question-and-answer session with students. Boswell took questions on assessing risk; the process of transitioning to a CEO role; how to cultivate a loyal customer base; and how to prioritize sustainability practices in a consumer products company.
Sustainability, Boswell said, is baked into her company’s operations and the partnerships it leverages. “We’re all about making sure that we’re offering products that align with consumer wants and needs,” she said. “It’s part of everything we do.”
Watch the full discussion:
