Mary Van Praag

In November, beauty giant Coty Inc. announced the appointment of Mary van Praag to general manager of OPI, one of its signature global brands. She stepped into the role on January 1 this year, and will lead OPI’s growth and expansion. Van Praag successfully led Coty’s mass channel sales organization in the U.S. for three years before serving as the general manager of Coty Canada.

At OPI, it’s all about the colours – more than 200 creatively named shades – and van Praag says it will continue to be the lifeblood of the business. She plans to bring passion to her new position, with continued momentum and growth on the agenda for the next five years.

In addition to being an active mentor in the industry, van Praag is a cyclist, loves to travel, entertain, read, and always has perfectly manicured hands.

My style is…

elegant but I love artisan pieces. Lida Baday is my favourite Canadian designer for work, and Rue Pigalle on Toronto’s Queen West has great jewelry and accessories.

I find inspiration in…

the arts. I love ballet, theatre, and opera. I love to travel and explore new places (stimulated by the beauty of my surroundings).

If I could invite anyone to dinner, it would be…

Oprah because she has soul and changed a generation. My husband would be the one cooking!

I got into this business because…

I love product and influencing decisions.

What I love about this business is…

it’s part left-brain, part right-brain; it’s fast-paced and dynamic.

My go-to OPI colour is…

GelColor in Bastille My Heart. I’ve been wearing OPI since I was out of college and could afford a professional service.