Philadelphia-based cosmetic ingredients maker Inolex has appointed Stephen Carter as its new commercial director for North America.
In this role, he will lead the company’s regional business strategy and support customer growth across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Carter, who joined Inolex in 2024, has played an integral role in expanding the organization’s customer engagement model in the US to accelerate the discovery and adoption of safe, natural, and sustainable ingredients for consumer products.
With a background in cosmetic chemistry, product management, and sales & marketing, Carter and his team are focused on delivering Inolex’s distinct, collaborative approach–partnering with customers on both formulation needs and broader product design.
“Stephen has a phenomenal ability to rally teams around an idea and put in place actionable plans to achieve success,” says Art Knox, President of Inolex.
“We’re entrepreneurial as an organization, and Stephen is a leader who puts people first. He takes a flexible, genuine approach to uncover client needs, and works collaboratively to find solutions that bring results.”
Carter has nearly 15 years of industry experience and is actively involved with the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, where he has served as Treasurer and was one of the first members of the Suppliers’ Day committee.
“We’re at a pivotal point in the industry where offering performance is expected, but delivering sustainable impact is much more nuanced,” he said.
“It’s up to all of us to bring creativity and advance our industry with safe and sustainable solutions that go beyond what the consumer expects.
“We understand that starts with helping our customers formulate success and think differently about problems they’re working on.”
