ASHLI HAMILTON 

Ashli Hamilton was born to be in the beauty industry. From a very young age she took an interest in cosmetics, skincare, fashion and shopping, and through a series of happenstances was ultimately able to turn her personal passions into her professional career.

 

Graduating from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, where she majored in Advertising & Marketing Communications all four years, she interned at Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW), working in the Events Department for six months where her taste for the fashion/industry began.

 

The next stop was the Lifestyle & Beauty team at Coburn Communications, a mid-sized public relations company where she worked on several accounts among them Boots UK, LeSportsac and Elizabeth Arden’s Celebrity Fragrances including the Mariah Carey and Britney Spears franchises.  Little did she know that her [career] path would later cross with the woman who was responsible for developing many of the fragrances she was supporting. 

 

Following her PR tenure, CEW came knocking at her door and she rejoined them once again in the Events Department. It was there that she got a birds eye view of the industry as she was exposed to new avenues of fragrance and beauty she never knew existed. She discovered the whole world of fragrance, fragrance suppliers and a behind-the-scenes look at the fragrance industry.

 

Due to personal reasons, Ashli returned to upstate New York in 2009 but always knew that New York would be in her future. Because of the limited job opportunities available, her career in the beauty industry was put on hold. Upon returning to NYC in 2011, it was time to get her [beauty career] back on track. To that end, she attended a CEW Young Executive Network event and was fortunate to connect with Virginia Bonofiglio, a professor in the Cosmetics & Fragrance Marketing program at FIT who offered to disseminate her resume in search of a career opportunity. As a result, her resume fell into the hands of Ann Gottlieb who at the time was looking to fill a newly created role within her company. They connected immediately and though she had no prior fragrance experience, Ann saw something in her that resulted in her offering Ashli the position.  Knowing that the role would need to be carved together, they embarked on a journey that would turn out to be a long-term relationship.

 

The role of Project Director which encompasses fragrance development, fragrance strategy and client engagement has been predicated on her ability to understand the needs of their clients, leverage trends and global market insight and navigate the competitive landscape. Through significant international travel, she has enhanced her ability to help create scents for a global marketplace. Because of Ann’s comprehensive product portfolio, Ashli has broad experience in the development of fragrances for the prestige market, personal care and air care categories as well.

 

In 2016, Ashli was recognized by the Fragrance Foundation as part of The Notables, a  program that identifies fast-track individuals within the cosmetics and fragrance industry. For the last three years she has also been involved with the Notables Mentorship initiative at FIT, her alma mater, where she's mentored several students in the Cosmetics & Fragrance Marketing undergraduate program.

​

In 2022, Ashli decided to open her own consulting business as means to establish a better work-life balance for her and her family.