Kao Corporation has promoted Michael Parsons to division vice-president of commercial strategy and planning for the Americas.
Beginning his career as a warehouse associate, Parsons has spent more than two decades in progressive sales and sales management roles with Kao Salon Division Canada. After working as the director of sales, marketing and education, he was appointed to general manager in 2016.
Throughout his tenure with Kao, Parsons has developed a deep knowledge of the professional beauty industry in Canada and across the Americas. He has served as a key member of Kao Salon Division’s North American Leadership Team and Americas Region Leadership Team, contributing to strategic initiatives and helping to shape the division’s long-term vision across multiple markets and channels.
In his expanded role, Parsons will continue to lead Kao’s Canadian salon division as general manager while taking on the responsibility of commercial strategy and planning across all of Kao’s salon brands in the Americas. His ongoing leadership and vast experience will be instrumental in driving growth, alignment and innovation across the region.
We chatted with Michael Parsons and Nadia Mitro, Kao’s marketing leader for Canada, at Goldwell ColorSphere 2025 in Milan, Italy, about the event’s rebrand and what’s ahead for the Goldwell brand.
What are your thoughts on the new Goldwell ColorSphere and the evolution of the Kao Salon Global Experience event?
Michael Parsons: For me, it’s really the culmination of listening to feedback and listening to things that our customers have expressed over the last number of years that they wanted to see incorporated. Between the hands-on classes and some of the business, AI and technology discussions and classes that are taking place, we’ve done our best to really try to meet the needs of our customers and listen to what the feedback has been.
I’m happy, and I think that the rebrand has gone well. Talking to customers, they seem very excited and seem to be really enjoying it.
Nadia Mitro: It’s been a beautiful event. The energy has felt lighter and younger. A lot of fun, interactive moments and it’s a different vibe. It’s been great.
I understand that 2025 was one of the most successful years for Canada, with more Canadians attending the event. What does that mean to you?
Parsons: I think that it tells me that people still want to invest in themselves and are still hungry for education, information, community and opportunities to just learn and grow, and continue to help build themselves and their business. To me, that’s a positive sign.
Over the last number of years, we’re still seeing that willingness for people to do that. For me, it really shows that we’re still in a positive place. I think we’re heading in a good direction. The response has been good—very positive. And, of course, Milan is a very attractive location, so that helps.
Canadians have been doing well in Kao’s Global Creative Awards, especially following the last event in 2023 in Chicago. What do you think has helped Canada excel in this competition?
Parsons: To me, [the Global Creative Awards] are sort of the crown jewel of the event. It always has been. There are a lot of brands and companies that put on great events—that’s no secret—but I think for us, the big point of difference is the live competition. For our Canadian competitors, it’s great. We know how great they are in Canada. We know what a strong industry we have, and how strong our stylists, colourists and salon owners are inside of Canada. To be able to see them compete and do really well on a global stage, it’s a proud moment for everybody involved. For me, it’s my favourite part.
Mitro: There’s nothing like it! It’s like the hair Olympics. In Canada, we just don’t have a ton of live, hands-on competitions. In Canada, when we do well, we get really excited. So this is next level—it’s global. To be on a global stage as a Canadian, I think there are so many emotions. It’s exciting for them, and exciting for us to watch, too.
There have been several past Contessa winners and powerhouse salons competing in the Global Creative Awards. How do you rally your teams to encourage new entrants?
Parsons: I think that the education team (and all the teams, really) work hard at getting the word out there. There’s so much of it that is sort of contagious, in terms of when they see people—their peers—compete. Maybe it starts with one person at a salon who enters, takes the program [about the competition and photo shoots at the academy] and they’re successful, and then it sort of spreads from there.
As much as we, from a company standpoint, can be advocating and trying to promote the [academy] programs, it’s really something that sort of catches like wildfire again through the strong community and just through the passion that people have. And it’s funny because we get feedback and comments from people where it’s almost like it gives them a renewed energy for their practice for the industry.
With our academy and education, we pride ourselves on delivering very high level, hands-on education and providing one of the best education experiences in the country. The fact that we still do that, it’s still resonating with people who are interested in making that investment in themselves—as opposed to just watching a YouTube video or something online. There’s a time and a place for that, but we still see the value in delivering that high level of [in-person] education. And we’re still getting feedback from people that they want that. To me, that’s a good indicator of where we are and that good things are still on the horizon.
As many salon owners and hairstylists are still experiencing challenges in business amid rising costs and a decline in client visits, what is Kao doing to support them during these difficult times?
Parsons: We have always had a mindset that it’s not about just selling product—it’s not about the transactional side of the business. It’s really about partnering with salons and offering value. And there’s a lot of different ways that we do that—whether that’s through education or having sales consultants or education members who can come in and help put together and facilitate an education plan or promotional plan. Always trying to add value. We invest a lot of money in salons, give back through our loyalty program and give them every opportunity to be able to provide education and opportunities to be able to grow. I think it’s really a combination of a lot of things.
We’ve been very mindful through tariffs. We didn’t pass any of those increases along to our salons because a healthy salon business is better for the industry. It’s really what the industry needs right now.
I understand that Goldwell is rebranding in 2026. What excites you most about this?
Mitro: It’s a whole year of what feels like an exciting, fresh look on Goldwell. I don’t want to say it’s a new brand, because it’s not. There are so many amazing things about what we’ve done and where we’ve come from, so we’re kind of reintroducing it. It’s a new way of talking about the brand and a new way of thinking about the brand, which is really exciting. I think it gives a really fresh perspective within the industry.
Michael, congratulations on your new role as division vice-president of commercial strategy and planning for the Americas. Tell us more about it and what you’re most looking forward to.
Parsons: I’m excited. I’m still managing the Canadian business, and we have some regional teams—we have a regional marketing team and regional commercial strategy and planning team. Now, in addition to overseeing the Canadian business, I’ve got the commercial strategy and planning team for the Americas region, so the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand reporting into me. I think that does a couple things. One, it gives me a totally different view. I’ve been local to this point, so now I have a different view—a broader view—on the overall business.
I think that my 35 years of country experience can really lend itself to being able to help that team get a different view that will help them better support the local markets. I think it’s also going to be able to hopefully strengthen that link and really improve that communication back and forth between the two levels, so to speak. To me, those are probably the biggest areas of opportunity. Anything I can do to be able to continue to grow and help the business grow overall—whether that’s at a local level, regional level, or at a global level—bring it on.
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