| Erica Adam Director, ABC and Field Development Erica Adam began her career with Aveda in 2002 as a retail advisor where she developed a passion for delivering exceptional guest service. Her career path took her to the salon side where she inspired salon growth through her experience of driving retail sales and her passion for continuing education. Erica's responsibilities include developing and delivering education programs on product knowledge and coaching, supporting the growth of Aveda Business College and bridging the gap between the retail and salon worlds. She recently developed and launched My Aveda - an innovative education program that drives service provider engagement with the Aveda brand. Erica is a Franklin Covey-certified trainer and 4MAT curriculum designer who is committed to creating inspiring education that focuses on both professional and personal development. She loves to bring her personal experience and passion to every training. | |
| Ian Michael Black Aveda Artistic Director, Hair Color Ian Michael Black has been part of the Aveda tribe since 1999 when he joined the Aveda Academy in London. He is known throughout the global hair color industry for his passion and ability to create innovative placement techniques and formulations. In the classroom, Ian is an inspirational educator who enjoys challenging his students to push the limits of hair color and view things from different perspectives. His talent, reputation and industry experience led him to his current role as Aveda Artistic Director, Hair Color, where he collaborates on product development, trend collections and visual campaigns for Aveda and sees clients at the Aveda New York Lifestyle Salon in SoHo. | |
| Ricardo Dinis Aveda Artistic Director, Hair Cutting Ricardo Dinis joined Aveda in his native Canada as Creative Director for Collega, Aveda's Canadian distributor. He then spent three years in Spain as Creative Director at the Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa in Madrid. Ricardo's professional and geographic journey has brought him to his current role as Aveda Artistic Director, Hair Cutting. He collaborates on trend collections and visual campaigns for Aveda and develops and teaches advanced hair cutting courses around the world. Ricardo is based in New York City where he sees clients at the Aveda New York Lifestyle Salon in SoHo. | |
| Janell Geason Aveda Artistic Director, Makeup Janell Geason is known for her awe-inspiring creativity, technical expertise and innate ability to connect with and inspire her students. Janell was named NAHA Makeup Artist of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and also received nominations in 2013 and 2014. Her work can be seen in many publications, including ELLE, Redbook, Lucky and Women's Health. As Aveda Artistic Director, Makeup, Janell travels globally to teach professional makeup artists, and she performs at Aveda shows and events. Her role includes leading education for Aveda Makeup and collaborating on seasonal makeup launches, shade animations, new products and beauty images for Aveda. Every spring and autumn, Janell works with a multitude of fashion designers as a lead makeup artist at New York Fashion Week. | |
| Helga Hefner Manager, Professional Spa Education Helga Hefner has spent more than 30 years of dedication and excellence leading the development and education of Aveda Skin Care and Spa. Her career spans a lifetime of innovation, passion and technical expertise, including owning one of the first Aveda Concept Salon/Spas, serving as an Aveda distributor director and developing The Art & Science of Esthiology curriculum. Helga received the Aveda Masters of the Arts Award and served as Spa Director for the first destination spa in India, which is now one of the top spas in the world. As a graduate of the Academy of Healing Nutrition, she is a Holistic Health Counselor and Longevity Diet Coach. Her lifelong study and practice of the ancient wisdom teachings and healing arts of yoga and Ayurveda inspire her seminars, technical workshops and wellness retreats, which integrate practices that create beauty, harmony and balance in the mind, body and spirit. | |
| Christopher Hermann Director, Educator Development Christopher Hermann has been a member of the Aveda tribe since 1986. He began his career as a retail educator before transitioning into marketing as the Global Marketing Manager of Pure-Fume and Personal Blends. Christopher later returned to education and focused his efforts on growing the global Experience Center business as Director, Retail Education. In his current role, Christopher creates strategies and programs to develop the skills of Aveda educators globally. His engaging and motivating education style give him an innate ability to connect with an audience, create change and get results, which makes him a highly sought-after global educator. Christopher is a certified facilitator for Fierce Conversations and Franklin Covey, and he uses his 25 years of knowledge, experience and passion for the beauty industry to motivate, inspire and create change. | |
| Wendy Prior Executive Director, Technical Education Wendy Prior has more than 25 years of industry experience, and she has focused on creating powerful educational tools and programs that engage and inspire hair colorists for the past 12 years. She reinvented the Aveda Hair Color curricula for new and experienced colorists and developed a Train-the-Trainer program that enables hair color educators to share their passions and talents in their own salon and across the Aveda network. Wendy's straightforward, no-nonsense approach to education has generated double-digit growth for Aveda in the professional hair care category. Her unique ability to be both analytical and creative allows her to speak for the hair colorist and simultaneously create educational programs that exceed expectations and help Aveda maintain its position as a global hair color leader and innovator. | |
| Allen Ruiz Aveda Artistic Director, Hair Styling Allen Ruiz has been a creative consultant for Aveda for more than 18 years and is globally recognized for inspiring hairdressers with his passion, technical expertise and award-winning images. Allen has engineered hair styles for many fashion houses, including Cynthia Rowley, Public School, G-Star and Charlotte Ronson. His editorial and campaign work have appeared in publications such as Vanity Fair, W, and Harper's Bazaar. Allen was named one of the Top Ten Latino Hairdressers in America by Latina magazine, and after being a four-time Canadian Hairdresser Mirror Awards nominee for International Hairstylist, he took home the prestigious award in 2011. He is also the recipient of five North America Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) nominations, winning Hairstylist of the Year in 2007 and 2013 and Salon Team of the Year in 2011. Allen's award-winning Jackson Ruiz salons are located in his hometown of Austin, Texas. | |
| Tippi Shorter Aveda Artistic Director, Textured Hair Tippi Shorter began her professional career at an Aveda Concept Salon in New York City. Known for her attention to detail and ability to care for unique client needs, Tippi has been a leading hair stylist and colorist in the entertainment and beauty industries for the past 15 years. Her work has graced many beauty icons, including Iman, Beyonc and Lady Gaga, as well as the covers and editorial pages of notable fashion magazines, including ELLE, Essence, InStyle and Vanity Fair. As Aveda Artistic Director, Textured Hair, Tippi participates in Aveda events and photo shoots globally, and she is instrumental in the development of curriculum and education for textured hair. | |
| Stephanie Wagner Executive Director, Retail Education Stephanie Wagner is a dynamic, inspirational educator and leader who has been part of the Aveda tribe since 1997. She began her career as a Team Leader in an Aveda Experience Center, where she learned firsthand how to offer outstanding Aveda service to guests. Her success in this role created new opportunities to lead retail teams in salons and at the Aveda Institute Minneapolis, where she discovered her love for education while developing wellness workshops for local charities. As Executive Director, Retail Education, Stephanie oversees the development of retail education programs and the Retail Education Managers globally. She is a Franklin Covey-certified trainer with a passion for inspiring others with her contagious personality, energetic teaching style and dedication to the Aveda brand and mission. | |
| Bea Watson Global Educator, Hair Styling Bea Watson has worked for more than 20 years as a hair stylist in the United Kingdom, beginning her career in London salons. Throughout her accomplished career, she has worked as a lead stylist at fashion weeks across Europe and in New York City, been an educator and curriculum developer at the Aveda Advanced Academy London and published editorial work in ELLE, Vogue UK, Dazed and Women’s Health. In her current role as Global Educator, Hair Styling, Bea enjoys teaching and passing on her knowledge in a way that motives and inspires others. She believes that by sharing techniques and skills of the craft with each other, Aveda can push the boundaries of hair together. | |
| Marc Zollicoffer Director, Professional Spa Education & Sales Marc Zollicoffer has more than 23 years of experience in stress-relieving spa therapies, including massage, yoga, meditation, aromaology and Ayurveda. He began his career with Aveda first as a massage therapist and then as an educator and innovator in the massage and spa industries. Marc has a passion for holistic philosophy and mind-body therapies. His specialties include deep tissue massage, acupressure, energy work and foot reflexology. He has also been trained in craniosacral therapy, facial stretch therapy, lymphatic massage and trigger point therapy. Marc is a sought-after global educator who develops and teaches spa workshops worldwide. He inspires students and spa professionals by incorporating multiple treatment modalities into his teaching. Marc seeks to treat and teach with a wide variety of products and techniques that seamlessly merge ancient wisdom and practices with modern science. | |
