Elizabeth Oates leads Consumer Insights at Ulta Beauty, where she actively ensures consumers are the heartbeat of the organization, impacting every aspect of the business. In her role, she’s built a Consumer Centricity Center of Excellence that leverages both insights and foresights to influence strategies with in-the-moment relevance as well as implications for the future. Elizabeth’s work has elevated the insights function to operate as a strategic business driver and competitive advantage. Her efforts are fueled with more than 18 years of experience across retail, CPG and financial services.   

Elizabeth enjoys developing new leaders and has established nine core skills for insights professionals, each designed to influence organizations to act on insights. She shares her knowledge as a regular guest-lecturer at the University of Wisconsin School of Business.  Elizabeth has been recognized as a 2021 Top 8 to Watch by the University of Wisconsin School of Business and a finalist for the 2021 Quirks Media Transforming Insights honor. 

Outside of the office, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family, including her two daughters.  She is a marathoner, avid traveler and a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Hero.