Market Defense Appoints Vanessa Kuykendall As Chief Engagement Officer

SEATTLE, June 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Market Defense, the leading full-service global marketplace agency for beauty brands, has named Vanessa Kuykendall to the role of Chief Engagement Officer. Formerly serving as Chief Operating Officer, Vanessa will utilize Market Defense’s formidable data analytics to gain insights into marketplace customer preferences, behaviors, and trends to drive sales and build lasting brand loyalty for Market Defense clients.

“Vanessa’s exciting new role formalizes a critical component of our core value proposition. Market Defense uses its continually evolving beauty depth and expertise to surface insights and develop strategies that drive exceptional performance for beauty brands on global marketplaces,” added Brandon Pemberton, President of Market Defense.

Market Defense represents award-winning beauty brands on Amazon, Walmart, and Mercado Libre including Dr. Dennis Gross, a WWD Greatest of All Time Skin Care brand, CEW Best Indie Brand Skinfix, and Allure Best of Beauty winners BeautyStat, Alpyn Beauty, and Jillian Dempsey. Market Defense reported a 70% YoY increase in sales across its Amazon portfolio in 2023.

“As the parent Company of Market Defense, D2E Labs is proud to promote Vanessa in this new extended role, reflecting her outstanding leadership of the organization, the successful partnership developed over the past 2-years and the continuous investment into the best talent and quality of service for our clients,” said Charles Tellier, CEO of D2E Labs.

Vanessa’s extensive background in beauty includes leadership roles in sales, training, and merchandising at renowned companies such as The Body Shop, MAC Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, and Tiffany & Co. Prior to co-founding Market Defense in 2017, she led the Beauty.com business for Walgreens. At Market Defense, Vanessa has been instrumental in scaling cross-functional client delivery and broadening capabilities in account management, brand protection, and performance marketing to drive faster and more meaningful growth for clients.

“Stepping into the Chief Engagement Officer role at Market Defense is an incredible opportunity,” shared Vanessa Kuykendall. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to further strengthen our client partnerships and drive growth. At Market Defense, we see our relationship with clients as a partnership in their growth. Their success is our success.”

Market Defense operates marketplace businesses on behalf of its clients, providing deep expertise in account management, brand protection, value-added logistics, and performance marketing for Amazon, Walmart, Mercado Libre, and other marketplaces around the world. Its portfolio of beauty brands includes influential fragrance brands like Lavanila and Tocca, as well as female-founded indie successes Petite n Pretty and Sara Happ, and international brands like Australia’s Grown Alchemist and This Works from the UK. By further intertwining Vanessa’s unparalleled expertise with its core strategies, Market Defense looks forward to continuing its mission: We grow the world’s best beauty brands on Amazon and other marketplaces. Globally.