COSMOPROF 2027
BOLOGNA, ITALY
FAIR DISTRICT
NEWS > 07 October 2026
BY DEANNA UTROSKE
There is a lot that we don’t see. Even when our own work involves colleagues, partners, items and information from every corner of the global cosmetics and personal care industry, we each spend much of our time focused on our own work. And it’s a rare opportunity when we get to learn about the behind-the-scenes people and the nuanced processes that are all around us in this vibrant industry.
CEO Romina Brown founded Strategic Solutions International in 2004; and the firm has, ever since, specialized in “growth audiences.” Early on SSI built a solid reputation in the hair care category, recognizing that multicultural beauty consumers have “traditionally been an audience that is underserved” and proactively filling in the knowledge gaps with data as well as category and consumer insights.
As Brown reminds me in our CosmoFactory podcast conversation, SSI was “the first company in the world to capture consumer syndicated data for the beauty supply channel.” She also shares her expert perspective on consumer research in our podcast conversation, explaining that “a large part” of what the team at SSI does “is storytelling,” using a realistic blend of advanced analytics and consumer insights to “give voice to their experience in a way that honors the consumer group, in a way that they’re not misunderstood,” and in a way that also improves SSI partner brand and retailers’ success in the market.
Today, SSI works with partners in a spectrum of categories across personal care and beauty.
“My family,” she says, “is the most important thing to me, making sure that all is well and that everyone is well mentally, physically healthy. I am very big on making sure that I am well and that my family is well. I also like to show up for my friends.”
In other words, she has all the makings of a prosperous life and of an exceptionally capable business partner, as evidenced by the SSI client list of brands both big and small: Unilever, Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal, Camille Rose Naturals, CANTU, Carol's Daughter, The Doux, Shea Moisture, Mielle, EBIN New York, ORS, House of Cheatham, and more. Together, Brown and the team at SSI are working behind the scenes to help beauty brands stay healthy and fit in an everchanging and increasingly tricky-to-navigate retail landscape. I learned so much about category management in my CosmoFactory podcast interview with Brown; and while I have heard her speak several times and had many conversations with her over the years, this was also a wonderful opportunity to get better acquainted with Romina Brown as a person and to better understand the unique skills and sincere passion she brings to her work. Hear it for yourself now on Spotify or your favorite podcast app.
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