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In our CEO interviews, beauty entrepreneurs speak candidly about their journeys, revealing how they built their brands and overcame challenges to succeed in a constantly evolving market. This week, we meet Kat Burki, founder of the eponymous brand, whose high-end skincare products, inspired by nutritional biochemistry, are distinguished by their rich, active ingredient formulas. Designed to deeply nourish the skin, they rely on a nutrient-centric approach and patented delivery technologies.
Every year, thousands of new businesses are launched, driven by individuals or teams ready to take on challenges and transform ideas into concrete realities. In this unfiltered interview, a CEO shares their journey, successes, failures, and the vision that guides their company.
This week, we meet Kat Burki, who spent over ten years designing disease prevention programs for healthcare facilities. This experience led her to launch her brand in 2013, based on the idea that skin, like the body, benefits from targeted nutrient delivery.
As the brand prepares to launch Regenesis this fall, a new skincare product designed to support skin after advanced cosmetic procedures, Kat Burki reflects on her journey and shares the vision that guides her approach today.
Harper’s Bazaar France: What does your career path look like?
Kat Burki: I began my career in law, specifically health law. This initial experience quickly made me realize that it wasn’t the path I wanted to follow. So, I went back to school to obtain a further degree, more focused on health policy. My first job after this training involved working in disease management, developing health programs designed to help patients stay healthy.
I wanted to create products that could help the skin by working with it, not against it.
GVM: What was the trigger for launching your own brand?
KB: Actually, there wasn’t a specific trigger. The brand was built gradually. I never sat down and said to myself, “I’m going to create a brand with this story, this positioning, and this vision.” I started quite spontaneously, and then I gradually defined what made us different.
This approach made things more complex, as we launched the brand before clearly identifying our true point of differentiation. However, one conviction was present from the start: I wanted to create products that could help the skin by working with it, not against it.
We then had to explain this approach to consumers. I didn’t come from a marketing background, so we had to build this message over time and work extremely hard to make our vision clear.
GVM: What has been the most difficult moment of your career?
KB: The most difficult thing has undoubtedly been controlling the narrative around the brand. People naturally try to summarize a brand in simple terms, whereas it was essential for me that everyone understood how different our approach was.
Initially, I lacked the resources to effectively convey this message. As the team grew, it became easier, and today our science communication department plays a vital role. However, because we had so much to explain, our approach was often misinterpreted in a reductive way that didn’t reflect who we truly were. Controlling this narrative remains one of our biggest challenges.
GVM: And the most exciting part?
KB: Seeing our products in so many stores is incredibly satisfying. But the greatest reward is hearing customer testimonials and witnessing the tangible impact our products have had on their skin or hair. That’s what gives our work its true meaning.
GVM: Do you remember the launch of your very first product?
KB: Very well. It was in New York, at Henri Bendel. I was discovering a world that was completely foreign to me. I remember arriving dressed very much like a lawyer, then seeing my products on display and people talking about them enthusiastically. The atmosphere was incredibly dynamic: products were being passed from hand to hand in a very competitive environment. It was both impressive and extremely exciting.
GVM: What achievements are you most proud of?
KB: That consumers love our products, that they work for them, and that they provide real benefits. But when this recognition also comes from the industry, it confirms that we truly offer something different.
If you have a strong conviction, stay true to that vision.
GVM: What compliment about the brand has touched you the most?
KB: When someone tells me that our products have truly changed their skin or hair. Some even come up to show me their hair regrowth. That’s the greatest reward.
GVM: What do you think is the key to success?
KB: You have to stay focused on your own vision. Many brands follow trends, but that requires a huge amount of time, energy, and investment. If you have a strong conviction, stay true to that vision. When you truly believe in what you’re doing, consumers sense it. You have to be able to block out external distractions, build your own system, and follow your own truth.
GVM: What motivates you to get up in the morning?
KB: I’m lucky enough to wake up every morning with enthusiasm. Of course, some days are very busy, and the thousands of scheduled calls can seem daunting, but it’s still stimulating. When you’re on the right track, doing what you’re passionate about, and surrounded by the right people, that energy remains.
GVM: What is your ambition for the future?
KB: To make Kat Burki a heritage brand, one that leaves a legacy. It’s a very ambitious goal, but I think it already has the necessary foundations. I’m building it with not only today in mind, but also what it will become in the years to come.
GVM: Are you currently working on new products?
KB: Yes, constantly, although I can’t reveal everything yet. What I like about our product development approach is that we don’t simply follow trends predicted by market research. We primarily focus on the needs of our community.
Thus, VitaBiome was born from our research on acne and the skin microbiome, while our hair care range comes from our work on hair regrowth, biofermentation and scalp health.
Our next launch will focus on the mechanisms of skin cell regeneration, a topic that is currently generating a lot of interest. Another product, planned for January, will explore this same theme from a different angle.
GVM: If you had to give one piece of advice to someone wanting to start their own business, what would it be?
KB: Starting a business requires a tremendous amount of work and total commitment. Initially, you have to be prepared to do everything yourself. Then, as the business grows, it becomes essential to recruit the best people possible and trust them. Knowing how to gradually transition from the role of executor to that of leader is crucial. Without this transition, you end up burning out, and the business cannot develop.