Beauty Industry Execs Join Prequel Skincare

Prequel Skin, a skincare brand founded by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Samantha Ellis, appointed beauty industry leaders Nathalie Kristo as Chief Executive Officer and Toral Patel as Chief Marketing Officer.

Together, Ellis, Kristo and Patel form an all-female leadership team with deep expertise spanning dermatology, brand building, marketing, retail expansion and global business operations.

The appointments come as Prequel’s rapid growth accelerates the need for experienced operating leadership to guide the brand’s next phase of expansion. 

Dr. Samantha Ellis, Founder of Prequel Skin, said:

“From the beginning, Prequel has been about making dermatology-informed skincare more accessible while helping people better understand and care for their skin. As we look toward the future, it was important to bring in leaders who not only have incredible track records of building successful beauty businesses, but who also deeply believe in our mission. Nathalie and Toral are exceptional leaders, and I’m thrilled to have them helping shape the next chapter of Prequel.”

Building on the momentum Dr. Ellis has created, Kristo and Patel bring decades of experience scaling category-defining beauty brands — positioning Prequel to extend its reach while preserving the clinical credibility and consumer trust at the heart of the brand.

Nathalie Kristo

As CEO, Kristo will lead Prequel’s overall growth strategy. An internationally recognized beauty executive with over 25 years of experience, Kristo has built and scaled some of the industry’s most iconic brands. 

Her leadership foundation was built over nearly two decades at L’Oréal, where she held several of the company’s key leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Marketing for L’Oréal Paris USA and Global Brand President of NYX Professional Makeup. 

Following L’Oréal’s acquisition of NYX, she led the brand’s transformation from a digitally native breakout into one of the beauty industry’s defining global success stories. 

She later joined Huda Beauty and served as the Chief Executive Officer, helping shape Huda Beauty and Kayali from founder-led brands into globally scaled beauty businesses.

Toral Patel

Joining Kristo on the executive team is Toral Patel, who will serve as Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing Marketing, Creative and E-commerce. 

Patel brings over 15 years of experience across prestige and mass beauty, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing & E-commerce at Kopari Beauty, where she helped establish the brand as a leading prestige player at Ulta. 

Previously, she held marketing roles at The Estée Lauder Companies and L’Oréal.

Together, Ellis, Kristo and Patel represent a powerful combination of clinical expertise, entrepreneurial vision and executive leadership as Prequel continues its mission of making dermatologist-developed skincare more accessible to consumers everywhere.