Dallas, TX (March 25, 2021) – Mary Kay Europe Region published 2020 year-end results about a record-breaking year in the number of awards its markets had garnered for their work in various spheres. The Mary Kay Europe region has taken home more than 80 prestigious awards, which range from business, corporate citizenship, leadership and sustainability categories from various reputable organizations and publications plus many impressive product awards throughout Mary Kay’s skin care, color and fragrance categories. The awards highlight Mary Kay’s unwavering business values and its dedication to the principles defined by the brand’s iconic founder, Mary Kay Ash.
Recently, Alla Sokolova, General Manager of Mary Kay Russia, was honored with the Business Women Award in the Corporate Leaders Category by Ernst & Young’s Business Women Program. Ernst & Young, a global leader in audit, tax, strategy, transactions, and consulting aims to promote women’s entrepreneurship and supports advancement of women in business. The selection criteria for the winners were both the personal qualities of the participants and the performance indicators of their companies.
“It is amazing, yet not surprising, how the Mary Kay Europe independent sales force met the challenges of 2020 head on by tirelessly working to continue to serve their customers with the help and support of all of our Europe markets and corporate teams,” said Tara Eustace, President of Mary Kay, Europe Region. “And the record-breaking number of awards achieved in our region is a testament to our decades-long commitment to help women from all walks of life to realize their full potential through training, empowerment, and making women feel and look beautiful. There’s no bigger joy in life than knowing how our collective work makes a difference in the lives of millions of women across our very diverse markets in the Europe region.”
“Mary Kay was a pioneer and a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, long before it became a popular catch phrase. When women band together, they reveal their natural skills and qualities, such as support for each other and mutual encouragement. And healthy competition, even among ourselves, pushes us forward, inspiring new ideas and successes,” said Alla Sokolova, General Manager of Mary Kay Russia.
Below is a snapshot of the 2020 accolades:
Excellence in Women’s Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment
- General Manager of Mary Kay Russia Alla Sokolova was recognized in the “Top 250 of the Best Top Managers in Russia” for 2020 by the Association Managers of Russia and “Kommersant” Publishing House. Alla was also named in the 5th place in the Trade category.
- Mary Kay Spain’s General Manager, Gema Aznar, for the fifth year in a row was chosen as one of the “500 Most Influential Women in Spain” in YoDona magazine’s annual list. YoDona magazine assembles the most powerful women in Spain in its special edition called “Female Power.”
- General Manager of Mary Kay Moldova Marina Moraru was named “Person of the Year” in Management by VIP Magazine. VIP Magazine is a top publication in Moldova, covering Business, Lifestyle, Culture, Beauty, and Fashion.
- General Manager of Mary Kay Ukraine, Viktoriia Zoria-Iatsenko earned the “Top 25 Successful Ukrainian Business Women” award in the Beauty category from the business magazine Vlast Deneg (Power of Money).
- Mary Kay Ukraine also received an honorary certificate from Vlast Deneg (Power of Money) business magazine and was listed as in the “TOP-50 Best Companies of Ukraine.”
- In a survey which was voted on by consumers, experts and influencers, Mary Kay Ukraine was awarded first place in the “Favor of Success” in Distributive Cosmetics Brand category.
- General Manager of Mary Kay Poland and Lithuania Ewa Kudlińska-Pyrz received a
“Pearls of Polish Business” award from the Financial Magazine on the “25 Most Influential Polish Businesswomen” list for her contributions to the Polish business and economy. - Mary Kay Russia received a “Woman Who Matters” award in the Social Engagement category for their Women’s Entrepreneurship and Business Opportunity Project titled “Women’s Business.”
Excellence in Business and Employment
- Mary Kay Czech Republic, Poland and Spain, independently of each other, received “Best Employer” designation by the Kincentric Best Employers Program.
- Mary Kay Slovakia received the “Superbrands Slovakia 2020” award. The brand was awarded by Slovak consumers and a Brand Council committee highlighting it among the most successful Business To Consumer (B2C) brands in the Slovak Republic.
- Mary Kay Moldova received the “TOP Brand 2020” designation in the Beauty category in VIP Magazine’s “Top 100 Brands 2020” annual edition. VIP Magazine awards businesses based on their market innovations and high consumer awareness of its brand and products.
Excellence in Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility
- Mary Kay Germany received the “FOCUS Sustainability Award” in Facial Skin Care and Cosmetics chosen by consumers and published in the German news magazine FOCUS.
- Mary Kay Ukraine was named in the corporate rating by Vlast Deneg (Power of Money) magazine among the top 25 Ukrainian companies with the best CSR programs for its Pink Changing Lives™ initiative, including its mission to develop women’s entrepreneurship, and for providing Ukrainian women with quality service and products. The list of companies was compiled based on company information, media reports and opinions of industry experts.
- Mary Kay Russia received the “Champions of Good Deeds” award for the pandemic initiative #IHelpwithMaryKay.
Excellence in Direct Selling
- Mary Kay Belarus received the “Direct Sales Cosmetic Company Number One Award” from the “Number One” annual national awards, whose task is to promote healthy competition and to determine the best players in the Belarusian market.
Excellence in Digital Education and Printed Tools
- Mary Kay Russia’s The Look catalog, which is a quarterly publication of Mary Kay products for consumers, took home the “2020 Best Corporate Media” in the “Client Media: Catalogue” category. The event was organized by the Association of Corporate Media and Media Business Publishing House.
- Mary Kay Russia’s Applause magazine, which is a Mary Kay educational and motivational monthly publication, won the “2020 Best Corporate Media Award” award in the “Client Media: Magazine” category.
- Mary Kay Russia’s Vera Sechnaya, Supervisor of Communications Projects and Editor of the monthly Applause magazine, took home the “2020 Best Corporate Media” award in the “Best Editor: Corporate Media” category.
- Mary Kay Russia was awarded the prestigious “Best Russian Social Projects 2020” award for their Link & Learn educational program. The Link & Learn program is an integrated training platform that teaches users the universal skills for running a business. The Best Russian Social Projects is an annual award aimed at supporting public policy initiatives and contributing to civic engagement and sustainable development in Russia.
- Mary Kay Russia’s official social media accounts won the honorable 3rd place in the nomination of “Best Corporate Account in Social Networks” at the National Corporate Media Contest “Silver Threads – 2020.” The Silver Threads Contest is Russia’s first national competition for corporate media resources, whose main objectives are to increase the value of corporate resources in the Russian information field, and to create a professional space where all participants from mass media and business communications can interact.
- Mary Kay Russia’s “Royal Blue – Sales Director Style 2020″ video also became the winner in the nomination of “Best Corporate Video/Film: Image of the Company ” at the National Corporate Media Contest “Silver Threads – 2020.”
Product Excellence:
With more than 1,500 patents and a team of scientists dedicated to producing innovative products backed by proven results, Mary Kay® products in Europe garnered 60 awards in 2020. Among the numerous products distinguished by the beauty industry and consumers, these were some of the most awarded:
- TimeWise Miracle Set 3D®
- TimeWise® 3D Foundations
- Mary Kay Naturally® Nourishing Oil
- Mary Kay Naturally® Moisturizing Stick
- Skinvigorate Sonic™ Skin Care System
- TimeWise Repair® Lifting Bio-Cellulose Mask
- Mary Kay® Hydrogel Eye Patches
- Mary Kay Illuminea™ Extrait de Parfum
Global Recognition in 2020
- Mary Kay Inc. was listed as one of America’s Best Employers For Diversity by Forbes Magazine.
- Mary Kay Inc. was named as one of the Top Purpose-Driven Brands on the Purpose Power Index by Reputation Instituteand StrawberryFrog.
- Mary Kay Inc. was awarded Community Leader of the Year by EarthX.
- Mary Kay Inc. was ranked #5 as a Most Loved Brands Online by Top Social Brand Awards in 2020.
- Mary Kay Inc. was nominated for the Responsible Business Awards 2020 by Reuters Events.
About Mary Kay
One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company 57 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ash’s original vision continues to shine—one lipstick at a time.