Nancy Cruickshank | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | British |
Occupation(s) | CEO, MyShowcase.com |
Years active | 2000–present |
Nancy Cruickshank is a British entrepreneur in beauty, fashion, and technology. She has founded three start-ups and helped launch several others. Since 2012, she is the CEO of MyShowcase.com, a direct-sales beauty products retailer.
Nancy Cruickshank was born in London.[1] Her father worked for Revlon and, when she was 11, her parents moved to Hong Kong while she attended a boarding school.[2][3] She graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in history.[2]
Cruickshank began her career at Condé Nast in magazine and advertising sales.[3] In 1995 she was named commercial director of Condé Nast online[4][3][5] and helped launch the publisher's titles online, including Vogue and GQ.[6] In April 2000 she and her husband, Jim, launched a property site, Smove.com.[7]
Cruickshank founded Handbag.com in 2000.[7] She stated in 2014 that it grew to be the number-one fashion and beauty website in the UK, with 1.5 million visits monthly.[7] Cruickshank sold the Handbag Publishing Group to the National Magazine Company, a member of the Hearst Group, in 2006 for a reported £22 million.[2][8] After staying on as managing director for another year, she became CEO of VideoJug, a "how-to video website", in October 2007.[8] In March 2009 she was named executive director of digital development for the Telegraph Media Group.[8]
From April 2012 to March 2013 she served as launch CEO of Weve, a media and mobile commerce joint venture for UK mobile operators.[4][9]
In June 2012 Cruickshank, together with Kate Shapland, Rodrigo Dauster, and Olivier Beau de Loménie, launched MyShowcase.com.[3] This direct-sales retailer promotes 25 beauty brands through home showings led by MyShowcase salespeople;[10] products are also sold online.[7]
Cruickshank served for many years as a board member of the Cosmetic Executive Women trade organisation.[7][5] In 2013 she became an independent non-executive director for the TelecityGroup.[11] In 2014 she was named an independent director of OnMobile.[9]
Cruickshank met her husband, Jim, at the University of Leeds when they were both 19.[7] They married in 1997[12] and have two daughters.[7] They maintain homes in London and Devon, [10] which they live between throughout the year with their children and two dogs.[13]