Chief Technology and AI officer
e.l.f. Beauty
Ekta leads at the intersection of beauty and technology. Appointed Chief Technology & AI Officer of e.l.f. Beauty in April 2026, she holds a newly created role built on a clear conviction: technology and AI will drive transformation and growth across every touchpoint of the enterprise. Her mandate spans Enterprise AI, Technology & Engineering, Data & Analytics, Marketing Technology, and Cybersecurity & Digital Risk, backed by more than 25 years of technology leadership across private equity and retail.
Ekta joined e.l.f. in January 2016 as Chief Digital Officer and architected the digital transformation that helped turn the brand into a global force. She built the company's connected commerce engine, engineering teams, data ecosystems, enterprise applications, and security posture, and championed AI-driven products years before they became industry standard. Before e.l.f., she shaped technology strategy for the James Irvine Foundation's investment portfolio and, as Vice President of Technology at Charming Charlie, helped grow the retailer from 17 to 120 stores nationwide.
A sought-after speaker at SXSW, CES, Shoptalk, and NRF, Ekta was named one of Rolling Stone's "20 Marketing Leaders Shaping the Creator Economy" in 2023 and honored for her contributions to STEM in 2022. In 2026 she was recognized among Women in Retail's 25 Most Inspirational Women Leaders and as a She Runs It Woman of the Year. She holds a B.A. in Technology & Operations Management with a minor in Finance from Cal Poly and volunteers her expertise to help nonprofits build stronger technology.
