Damola Adamolekun and John Paul DeJoria to headline PBA Executive Summit

The Professional Beauty Association will bring Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun and John Paul DeJoria to its 12th Annual Executive Summit on Nov. 16-17 in Phoenix. The event is aimed at senior beauty-industry leaders looking for strategies on leadership, transformation and the future of service-driven businesses.

Why it matters: - The Professional Beauty Association is using its flagship leadership event to address fast change across professional beauty. - The summit is designed to give senior executives practical ideas on transformation, innovation and resilience. - The lineup pairs a professional beauty icon with a CEO from another service-driven industry, broadening the perspective for attendees.

What happened: - The Professional Beauty Association announced that Damola Adamolekun, chief executive officer of Red Lobster, and John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems, will headline the 12th Annual PBA Executive Summit. - The summit is set for Nov. 16-17, 2026, at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. - The event theme is One Industry: Aligned. Protecting Our Industry. Leading What's Next.

The details: - PBA says the Executive Summit is the association's premier leadership event. - The gathering brings together executives from professional beauty manufacturers, distributors, salon organizations and industry partners. - The program includes two days of strategic conversations, executive networking and discussions about the future of professional beauty. - Adamolekun is expected to discuss organizational transformation, revitalizing legacy brands and leading through change at a major restaurant company. - DeJoria will take part in an exclusive fireside chat focused on leadership principles, relationships, resilience and long-term vision. - The summit is open exclusively to PBA Visionary, Business and Salon & Spa members. - Registration is now open. - Learn more and register here

Between the lines: - PBA is signaling that the industry wants outside perspectives, not just beauty-industry veterans, as consumer expectations and workforce dynamics shift. - Adamolekun's background in restaurant leadership suggests PBA sees parallels between beauty and other service businesses facing operational reinvention. - DeJoria's presence reinforces the event's focus on legacy, entrepreneurship and long-term brand building.

What's next: - PBA members eligible for the summit can register now. - The event will likely frame the industry conversation heading into 2027 around leadership, adaptation and cross-industry lessons. - PBA Executive Summit will continue to serve as a closed-door forum for senior executives shaping the next phase of professional beauty.