Shelley Sullivan
Shelley Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 (age 52–53) |
| Occupations | Entrepreneur, businesswoman |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Young Entrepreneur (2005) Retail Executive of the Year (2017) AFR Women in Leadership – Retail (2024) |
Shelley Sullivan (née Williams) is an Australian entrepreneur and businesswoman who founded the cosmetics brands ModelCo and MCoBeauty.
Early life
[edit]Sullivan was born in 1973 and began organising children's parties at the age of 16.[1]
In 1993, at age 20, Sullivan joined Gordon Charles' Platform modelling agency as a receptionist while running her events business. After 10 months, she started her own modelling agency.[1][2][3]
Her mother, Kerrie Martin, provided initial funding for the business, which Sullivan developed into a modelling agency.[1]
The agency grew from a single model before Sullivan sold it to Ben McPherson's Artist and Entertainment Group.[4][5]
Career
[edit]ModelCo
[edit]Sullivan founded ModelCo in 2001,[6] drawing on her experience working with models and makeup artists.[7]
ModelCo's early products included a heated eyelash curler, introduced in 2002, and an aerosol self-tanning product.[8][9][10]
Sullivan and Karl Lagerfeld launched the Karl Lagerfeld + ModelCo collection in 2018.[3]
MCoBeauty
[edit]In 2020, Sullivan established MCoBeauty with six products.[11][10] The brand was distributed through Woolworths, Big W and Chemist Warehouse.[6][7][12]
MCoBeauty expanded into the United States in 2024 and Canada in 2026.[13] MCoBeauty also ran a campaign featuring Celeste Barber.[14]
In February 2025, Sullivan sold her remaining stake in MCoBeauty to DBG Health and departed as CEO.[5]
She subsequently signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).[5][15]
Sullivan has also worked with Hailey Bieber, Dannii Minogue, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Elle Macpherson in connection with ModelCo and MCoBeauty.[1][16]
Awards
[edit]In 2005, Sullivan won the Young Entrepreneur category at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.[17]
In 2017, Sullivan was named Retail Executive of the Year at The CEO Magazine's Executive of the Year Awards.[18]
In 2024, Sullivan won the Retail category at the Australian Financial Review Women in Leadership Awards.[19]
Public speaking
[edit]Sullivan has spoken at conferences,[20][21] including the Fortuna One Summit.[9]
Television
[edit]In 2015, Sullivan appeared in the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia as one of Mark Bouris's two boardroom advisers, along with Kerri-Anne Kennerley.[22][23]
Personal life
[edit]Sullivan married her high school boyfriend, Damien Barrett.[24] They have two daughters, Lucy and Emily. In 2016, she married Anthony Sullivan and they separated in 2024.[1]
She has a pet cavoodle named Chilli.[25]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Inside the rise of Shelley Sullivan's billion-dollar-beauty business". Forbes. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "A Day in the Life of Shelley Sullivan, CEO of ModelCo". Collective Hub. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- 1 2 "CEO reveals secret to selling US$4.5 million worth of products in two months". CEO Magazine. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "'Create the magic': Five lessons from MCoBeauty's Shelley Sullivan". Domain. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- 1 2 3 "'I've outsold the best': Shelley Sullivan cashes out of MCoBeauty at $1 billion valuation". Forbes. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Shelley's budget beauty dupes set to make MCoBeauty over $70 million this year alone". Nine.com.au. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- 1 2 "MCoBeauty champions luxe for less". Retail Beauty. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "ModelCo founder Shelley Sullivan on how the brand's Karl Lagerfeld collaboration broke new ground". Vogue. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Shelley Sullivan". Fortuna One. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- 1 2 "Billionaire swoops on $1b MCoBeauty cosmetics empire". AFR. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Meet Australia's $1 billion businesswoman. Cosmetics queen reveals secret to making fortune in just four years". 7 News. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "BIG W Announces Supplier Of The Year 2023". Woolworths Group. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "MCoBeauty expands in North America with Canadian retail launch at Walmart". Premium Beauty News. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Celeste Barber beauty push generates $6m in sales for MCoBeauty". AFR. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Shelley Sullivan". Fordham Company. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Shelley Barrett, ModelCo". Beauticate. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Ernst & Young Announces 2005 Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year". TMC Net. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Shelley Sullivan is the Retail Executive of the Year". CEO Magazine. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "'You need to trust your gut': How to build an empire". AFR. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Beauty industry pioneer Shelley Sullivan reflects on MCo billion-dollar success story". Ray White Commercial. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Shelley Sullivan Shares her Business Success Strategies at Business and Beyond". APAN. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Nine announces Celebrity Apprentices". Media Week. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Kerri-Anne gets real". The West Australian. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "MCoBeauty founder: 'I didn't spend any time at home'". News Australia. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
- ↑ "Take a look inside one of Sydney's most unique homes". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2026.