Dive Brief:
- Ulta Beauty has named a new CTO in Kelly Garcia, a current board member who will begin his new role Aug. 31, the company announced Tuesday.
- As CTO, Garcia will continue to advance the beauty retailer’s technology capabilities and its tech-driven Ulta Beauty Unleashed strategy, which aims to drive market share growth. Garcia will leave his seat on Ulta’s board to take the position, as well as his 14-year tenure at Domino’s, where he served most recently as the company’s EVP and CTO.
- “Kelly has been an impactful member of our Board of Directors, providing valuable business insights and technology expertise, including perspectives on emerging technologies such as AI,” Kecia Steelman, president and CEO, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Ulta welcomes Garcia following a push to modernize its core technology systems and more broadly use AI in its corporate and customer-focused workflows.
In the last few years, Ulta has upgraded its ERP system, moved to a bespoke digital store platform, ditched an outdated point-of-sale system and made inroads in data management and governance. The technical preparation teed up more widespread use of AI agents, former Chief Technology and Transformation Officer Mike Maresca, who left the organization this month, told CIO Dive in 2025.
The company was working to upskill associates in a tiered system to ensure AI systems are carefully vetted, affirm transparency, encourage ethical use and facilitate compliance, he said last year.
Although Ulta didn’t expand on the technology projects Garcia will be tasked with in this phase of their modernization efforts, Steelman cited his work at Domino’s developing and implementing technology initiatives that supported and improved the global business.
“With more than 25 years of leadership and broad experience across global e-commerce, customer loyalty, digital innovation, and cybersecurity, Kelly will be a great addition to our team,” Steelman said.
Garcia expanded his chief tech role at Domino's in 2020, when the company was aiming to revolutionize the brand through tech innovation. That year, Garcia took on CIO responsibilities and the company renamed its IT division “Domino’s Technology,” in response to an increased push to build in-house tech that supports business operations.
Earlier this year, Domino’s rolled out a custom AI-tracking engine that analyzes multiple real-time inputs from team members with machine learning to more accurately estimate times for delivery and pickup, and updated its e-commerce platform and mobile website. The rollout is part of the chain’s Hungry for More strategy to improve food quality and operations.
