Alexandra Levit
Founder & CEO, Inspiration at Work | Wall Street Journal Columnist | Bestselling Author of Humanity Works & Deep Talent | Thinkers50 Radar
Mary Dillon
Former CEO of Ulta Beauty & Foot Locker | Former EVP & Global CMO of McDonald's | Former President & CEO of U.S. Cellular | Consumer & Retail Leader
Mary Dillon is one of the most accomplished consumer and retail leaders in business, having run Ulta Beauty, Foot Locker, and U.S. Cellular and served as Global CMO of McDonald's. She is best known for transforming Ulta Beauty into a category-defining retailer through customer obsession and a standout culture. On stage, she shares practical lessons on customer-led transformation, brand building, and leading large organizations through change.
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Mary Dillon biography
Business speaker Mary Dillon is one of the most respected consumer and retail executives of her generation, known for leading brand-driven companies through growth, reinvention, and major structural change. She most recently served as CEO of Foot Locker, where she led the athletic retailer through a multi-year transformation focused on sharpening its brand positioning, modernizing the customer experience, and deepening its partnerships with major footwear brands, until the company’s $2.4 billion acquisition by Dick’s Sporting Goods in 2025.
Dillon is best known as the CEO who led Ulta Beauty from 2013 to 2021, scaling it into a category-defining specialty retailer. During her tenure, Ulta expanded its national footprint, built one of retail’s most admired loyalty programs, and blended digital and in-store experience in a way that set it apart, while becoming widely recognized as one of the best places to work. Her leadership there is frequently cited as a model for how culture, clear strategy, and disciplined execution drive durable performance.
A Career Across Beauty, Retail, Food, and Telecom
Earlier, Dillon served as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald’s, helping shape global brand and marketing strategy for one of the world’s most recognized companies. She went on to become President and CEO of U.S. Cellular, bringing a customer-first approach to a large, operationally complex business, and earlier held senior roles at PepsiCo, including leading the Quaker Foods division. Today she serves as a board director for major companies and as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, valued for pairing strategic clarity with practical operating rigor.
As a speaker, Mary Dillon is direct, practical, and highly relevant to leadership teams navigating disruption. She speaks about customer-led transformation, brand strategy, and omnichannel execution, as well as how to build cultures that perform under pressure. Drawing on decades leading large organizations across multiple industries, she gives audiences clear frameworks and real decision points that help them turn strategy into results.
Mary Dillon Speaking Videos
Mary Dillon keynote speech as CEO, Ulta Beauty
Fortune's Most Powerful Women: Mary Dillon
Mary Dillon Keynote Topics
A practical look at how leaders reposition an established business as customer behavior shifts. Dillon shares what it takes to set a clear strategy, align teams, and modernize the operating model across channels, experiences, and brand partnerships, without losing focus on execution.
Drawing on her work at Ulta Beauty and beyond, Dillon shares lessons on building and protecting brand relevance at scale, from loyalty and customer experience to merchandising and the blend of digital and physical. She focuses on the choices that create lasting differentiation and the rhythms that keep teams aligned.
Dillon explains how high-performing organizations sustain results through leadership development, accountability, and a culture that can absorb change. The focus is on building strong teams, deciding with speed and clarity, and creating the conditions for consistent execution across large, distributed organizations.
From scaling Ulta to steering Foot Locker through transformation and a landmark acquisition, Dillon shares a candid operator's view of leading through uncertainty. She addresses how to keep teams focused and motivated, protect what matters, and make confident decisions when the path ahead is shifting.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Mary Dillon
Why Mary Dillon?
Booking Mary Dillon brings one of the most accomplished consumer and retail leaders in business to your stage. As the CEO who transformed Ulta Beauty into a category-defining retailer, later led Foot Locker, and served as Global CMO of McDonald's, she speaks with rare, firsthand authority on customer-led growth, brand building, and leading at scale. Audiences value her clarity, candor, and practical operating insight, earned across beauty, retail, food, and telecom. For events on leadership, transformation, customer experience, and brand strategy, few speakers offer her breadth and credibility. Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you bring Mary Dillon to your next event; complete our contact form to check her availability.
What is Mary Dillon known for?
Mary Dillon is an American business leader best known for serving as CEO of Ulta Beauty from 2013 to 2021, where she helped grow it into one of the most successful specialty retailers in the United States. She later became CEO of Foot Locker, leading it until its acquisition by Dick's Sporting Goods in 2025. She is also known for her earlier role as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald's.
What companies has Mary Dillon led?
Mary Dillon has led several major consumer companies. She was CEO of Ulta Beauty, CEO of Foot Locker, and President and CEO of U.S. Cellular, and served as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at McDonald's. Earlier in her career she held senior roles at PepsiCo, including leading the Quaker Foods division. She also serves as a board director and advisor to senior leaders.
What topics does Mary Dillon speak about?
As a speaker, Mary Dillon addresses customer-led transformation, brand strategy, omnichannel execution, and leadership and culture at scale. She blends decades of experience leading large organizations across multiple industries with practical frameworks audiences can apply. To invite Mary Dillon to speak at your event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau through our booking form.
How to book Mary Dillon as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Mary Dillon as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Mary Dillon's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Mary Dillon or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Mary Dillon speaking fee?
Mary Dillon speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Mary Dillon to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Mary Dillon.
How can I contact Mary Dillon?
We only work with Mary Dillon on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Mary Dillon and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Mary Dillon speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Mary Dillon for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Mary Dillon for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Mary Dillon is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Mary Dillon for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
