Hair Cuttery Family of Brands (HCFB)relaunched in 2020 under new ownership and amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has announced Eric Bakken has joined as CEO.

Bakken joins HCFB after about 30 years in senior leadership positions at Regis Corp. Most recently, he ran all aspects of its largest salon division as executive vice president. He also had spent time as the company’s chief financial officer, chief operating officer, chief administrative officer, head of business development, general counsel, and interim CEO. Bakken’s move to CEO consolidates leadership roles most recently held by Seth Gittlitz and Azhar Quader, who helped lead HCFB’s turnaround during the pandemic.

“Eric has the right vision, experience and skills to elevate HCFB to be the undisputed leader in the salon industry,” said Lee Solomon, a member of HCFB’s board of directors. “The next phase of HCFB’s expansion requires leadership that can harness the power of technology, business intelligence and marketing analytics to pull the salon industry forward into the digital age. Eric is the rare business leader who is as comfortable in a salon as he is in the board room. Eric understands our greatest assets will always be our salon professionals."

“I am thrilled to have joined HCFB’s team,” said Bakken. “I am so impressed with what this team has accomplished, and I want nothing more than to keep us growing sustainably. I believe HCFB has a great business model and talented management team that positions it well to capitalize on the changing salon industry. As the industry evolves out of COVID, we have to be laser focused on staffing, technology solutions and revitalizing our existing salons. Through these initiatives, I believe HCFB will be in a position to continue to offer its guests an affordable indulgence that will make us the preferred salon choice among consumers.”

Bakken earned a B.A. from St. Mary University of Minnesota and a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He chairs the philanthropic board of the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center.