Category: International Business Awards
Maree Kinder
Maree is the Founder of Beauty & Seoul, UK’s leading online retailer for South Korean skincare. Originally a Korean orphan, Maree began Beauty & Seoul in 2017 when she quit her job and moved to Seoul to embark on a birth family search. Ultimately disappointed in the search, she began blogging about Korean skincare as a distraction. This led her to start her own import business thanks to a loan her father gave her – a loan she paid back after 4 months. Since launching her business, Maree has gained nearly 60% market share, generated millions of pounds in sales and led the business to grow 270% from Year 1 to Year 2. Maree was awarded Management Today’s 35 under 35 Top Women in Business, is currently on the Natwest Entrepreneur Accelerator and has spoken at events around Female Entrepreneurship, Asian Women in Business and Mental Health. Maree Kinder
Vote for Maree here
All Votes for Maree Kinder
Jess
2020-02-06 15:48
She is a passionate and ambitious business owner
Steve
2020-02-06 15:51
She has driven her business from nothing to be the leading Korean skincare store in the UK within 3 years
Sunny Cho
2020-02-06 15:54
She is so brave and hard worker. I think Maree inspire and touch the souls of many people with her Journey.
JOHN KINDER
2020-02-06 15:55
Maree is an exceptionally gifted entrepreneur who has cleverly identified a niche in the beauty market. Her innovative website and blog reaches a huge untapped market.
Carly
2020-02-06 15:57
Maree is the most inspirational person I know. She has built an amazingly successful business up from nothing. She is so driven and super passionate about her brand. People buy into the brand purely because of Maree. She’s fantastic!
Naomi adamson
2020-02-06 15:59
Shes motivated , hard working and passionate
Lauren
2020-02-06 16:04
Maree has excelled at delivering Korean beauty products to consumers within the UK. She worked tirelessly to build her business whilst simultaneously working full-time at The FA. She understands her customers and does a great deal of CSR to maintain a high quality and caring brand
Katy
2020-02-06 16:05
Maree is knowledgable, hard working and genuinely lovely. She has worked so hard to understand the Korean culture and beauty industry and has seen phenomenal success in such a short space of time, which is so well deserved!
Sarah Marasco
2020-02-06 16:11
She’s done an amazing job! Well done!
Danielle Hatton
2020-02-06 16:14
Great products
Sissel
2020-02-06 16:17
Maree is such an inspiration. She is an incredible entrepreneur and has made a huge success with her business. Maree is super bright, strong, determined, ambitious, talented and an incredible human being, who it’s impossible not to love!
David kinder
2020-02-06 16:18
She is an inspirational leader!
Nick O'D
2020-02-06 16:23
Maree's commitment and effort is truly remarkable! She is so passionate for what she does and totally deserves this award
Dominique hatton
2020-02-06 16:25
Lovely products, great service x
Francesca
2020-02-06 16:28
I have been lucky to know Maree for almost 10 years now and she is one of the most amazing, hard working, positive people out there. She has built an incredible company!
Tatiana
2020-02-06 16:31
She is passionate and driven, a true example for women.
Andrew Prickett
2020-02-06 16:34
Passionate and followed her dream! An inspiration.
Christina Benjamin Leong
2020-02-06 16:35
She has the zeal to move forward and never give up that lead her to where she is now. She is also very inspiring and will be such an awesome role model for woman today.
Victoria Birrell
2020-02-06 16:44
Very hardworking & inspiring young business owner, well done Maree!
Amanda Hoang
2020-02-06 16:51
Her passion and drive is inspiring to those who want to take a leap of faith. She is willing to learn to do what she needs to in order to get where she wants to. #empoweringwomen
Tom Shortland
2020-02-06 16:53
Amazing products, opening up the best of the worlds beauty products to UK customers in an innovative and effective way.
margaret van aken
2020-02-06 16:56
She is the most amazing daughter. Has always been motivated and has put in so much effort and dedication to achieving her goals in life. This amazing business which she has built up from scratch is truly a terrific achievement. Fantastic!
Sarah Ellis
2020-02-06 17:09
Maree is an inspirational woman on a mission. Her drive, energy and personality is infectious which makes her a delight to be around. Her knowledge of Korean beauty & skin care is revolutionising beauty in the UK and it’s exciting - go Maree! X
Sarah
2020-02-06 17:17
I’ve known Maree since we were in grade 5 in Japan. She never made excuses and always worked hard while being kind and generous to others. She understands market needs and delivers as evidenced by her amazing success story. Truly an inspiration!
Emilia Kaneva
2020-02-06 17:23
She stared her business from 0 and my trust in her products is 100%, since she is so devoted and passionate
Ellie dooley
2020-02-06 17:26
Maree is a great business woman and an inspirational role model for those with entrepreneurial spirit
Pauline
2020-02-06 17:30
Maree is an exceptional businesswoman. Her internet Korean skincare business has grown from strength to strength. Her dedication to make available to UK and european customers, the very best natural skincare products is phenomenal.
Louise Stewart-Murray
2020-02-06 17:42
Maree’s passion to bring the best of K-Beauty to the UK just oooozee out of her being. Her personal connection to Korea and the products she loves makes Beauty & Seoul such a successful and special brand! She took an idea and made it a reality and she’s such an inspiration.
Ash Hackworth
2020-02-06 17:49
She is the representation of how anyone can follow their dreams, especially for women! She is a great motivator and definitely someone to look up to! I admire her courage and hardwork ethic.
Scott Davis
2020-02-06 18:01
Amazing story; amazing business growth
Imelda Gilroy
2020-02-06 18:09
Amazing business woman, great idea put into practice & with fabulous products
Louisa Senior
2020-02-06 18:15
Mariee has worked so hard to build this business up from scratch. I've been using her products since 2017 and have become a k beauty convert. It's wonderful to see a great person having great success, she is most deserving of this award.
Gaurav Gupta
2020-02-06 18:16
She has a brilliant mind and the way she has marketed and got a perfect brand to her country is amazing. Grounded and back to her roots. She has explored opportunities that has got this unique service from the land of it’s origin. All the best
Susan
2020-02-06 18:20
Dedicated and knowledgeable. Offers high quality products.
Shelly tucker
2020-02-06 18:20
Maree is an inspiration to us all. Taking an idea, based on her passions and running with it with such bravery. The success of her business is solely down to her hard work and shes also built it with scalability in mind.
Danielle
2020-02-06 18:20
Maree is an inspiration to many women, young orphans like myself and many others.. She is a role model to others through her story and not giving up when the outcome isn’t what you were looking for. She works hard for her achievements and is always so positive and smiley!
Alice
2020-02-06 18:27
Maree has built such an awesome business with great products and ethos behind it
Claire
2020-02-06 18:47
Maree is a superstar. Followed her passion and brings amazing good value skincare to the uk.
Kate Evans
2020-02-06 18:54
Maree has started and built an amazing Korean beauty business from scratch and works tirelessly to make it a success. She’s inspirational to all women looking to start their own business.
Gemma Ransome
2020-02-06 18:58
Amazing woman. Set up from nothing. Works incredibly hard. Has the heaps of ambition and great ideas
Sunena
2020-02-06 19:03
Absolutely! Such an inspiring and motivating story!
Abril Liu
2020-02-06 19:08
Maree is an extremely genuine person who does her job with passion. I have learned about her business through Instagram and have watched it grow the last few years. I am not surprised as how far she is getting and how far she will get because she is very ambitious.
Andy waddell
2020-02-06 19:22
Fast growing business and brand with international dimension , bringing access to quality Asian products to the UK market .
Deepak Salwan
2020-02-06 19:32
A passionate brave hard working individual.
Jennifer Baron
2020-02-06 19:41
Maree had the vision, passion and courage to try bringing something relatively niche at the time to the UK market. Not only did she deliver what was needed beautifully to the market but she's made her company a household name in the UK beauty industry.
Ellie
2020-02-06 19:44
The most incredible boss girl I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She taught me what it means to be an incredible manager and I can only ever wish to be half the business woman she is.
Amy Quinn
2020-02-06 19:52
Maree is an amazing and inspirational business women. She has created a concept new to the UK market that stems from her amazing heritage and life story. Not only that, she’s just an all-round lovely person.
Maree
2020-02-06 20:03
She’s not only created a very successful business, she’s also very generous and kind with her time and advise to other people who’s looking to creat a business.
Arti Yadav
2020-02-06 20:17
Maree is driven, determined and passionate - 3 key qualities to make an impactful entrepreneur ! Love what she has created in a very short space of time. Truly inspiring !
Charlotte
2020-02-06 20:22
She is a hugely passionate and driven business woman who cares about her buyers
Rachel John
2020-02-06 20:35
Maree has taken her passion & created great products alongside sharing knowledge to her customers. Inspiring woman!
Nilza
2020-02-06 21:32
This hardworking lady proved that it’s possible to turn bad things that happen to you into something productive. She deserves this!
Li W
2020-02-06 21:41
Incredibly hard worker with an amazing vision!
Kirill Petropavlov
2020-02-06 22:23
Inspiring story of turning life around and succeeding at what she likes! Well done and best of luck
Sara Allison
2020-02-06 22:44
Maree is not only driven and passionate about her business but is a lovely, friendly person.
Léonie
2020-02-06 23:24
She is such an accomplished and dedicated person. She promotes her brand so well and her kindness and authenticity shines through in everything she does.
Anna Goodrich
2020-02-07 00:16
Maree is someone I confidently look up to. As a fellow Korean adoptee, I have loved watching what she's done with her business. Seeing her company grow, succeed, and showcase our culture to a huge audience has been absolutely amazing. Her contribution to business and culture in the UK is beautiful and inspiring!
Henriette Carlsen
2020-02-07 04:56
When I first discovered Beauty And Seoul I was really happy that there was finally a business that sold Korean skincare in the UK. Since 2017 she’s made it incredibly easy to get high quality products and I love the thoughts that go behind everything that is available. The fact that she tests the products beforehand tells you that she’s not just putting anything up for sale and that there is more to her business than monetary gains. She is incredibly hard working and the customer service she gives is always great! She is incredibly deserving of this award!!
Matthew Salomon
2020-02-07 05:14
Because she is amazing.
Ashley Duvan
2020-02-07 07:14
Everything Maree does, she does with passion. It’s been incredible to follow her journey through South Korea and where it’s brought her. What an incredible achievement.
Hailey Kim
2020-02-07 10:32
I am one of her client partners. There will be no more confident and amiable CEO than she is. I assure you, she is the queen of beauty industry.
Paul
2020-02-07 11:48
B&S is a fantastic business offering great products and advice. Maree has done a superb job setting up and growing it!
Shereen Muhyeddeen
2020-02-07 11:58
Maree is the most driven, passionate and authentic person I know and that is evident in the success story she's built with Beauty & Seoul in such a short amount of time. She truly understands her products and her market, and with her new content marketing initiatives and upcoming events I'm excited to see the business grow even more!
Becky
2020-02-07 12:39
Maree is an extremely talented and driven entrepreneur who was brave enough to follow her dreams which has led to Maree introducing a whole new audience to Korean skincare and subsequently Korean culture. I know personally that many women who have previously worked with Maree were so inspired by her courageous decision to step out of their comfort zone that they have followed suit.
Katrina
2020-02-07 14:08
Maree is so hardworking and her story and her determination is extremely inspiring. She’s a lovely and kind hearted person and deserves all the success she’s achieved.
Karen Wright
2020-02-07 16:13
The epitome of professionalism. A master of promotion and hard work.
Jennifer Stevens
2020-02-07 16:46
Maree is amazing bringing Korean skincare to the world! Her story is inspiring
Roel van Aken
2020-02-07 17:24
Maree started her business from scratch and its success is all down to her hard work and inspired leadership. She never gives up and is simply amazing at what she does !
Kristina
2020-02-07 17:42
Maree is a pioneer and has a unique vision for British Kbeauty. She’s passionate and driven in what she does, and it shows.
Charlotte W
2020-02-07 20:16
Maree’s determination, hard work and innovative business knowledge is reflected in the fact she has been able to exceed all expectations regarding the development and expansion of her business over the past 3years resulting in being the leading Korean skincare store in the UK. Maree’s impact on the industry and her clients does not stop there as she has also used her business as a platform for promoting emotional wellbeing and mental health awareness alongside support to people who have experienced adoption.Maree is an inspiration for future entrepreneurs.
Vicki Bassil
2020-02-07 22:08
She is extremely passionate about her products and has done an amazing job building such a great business. An inspiration to all young women. Well done Maree!
Linn
2020-02-07 22:10
She is amazingly driven, well-educated and she really pours her heart and passion into her mission to share the edgy and trendsetter movement that is K-beauty with the rest of the world. She is also such a down-to-earth and compassionate person. Her business and website are super-professional but also very heartfelt. A place you want to return to, again and again.
Cate McVeigh
2020-02-08 02:57
Maree is a rock star, simply incredible. She is one of the smartest and most driven people I know. She is extremely hard working and Beauty & Seoul is a fantastic business. Great job, Maree - you’re crushing it!
Rob Flaws
2020-02-08 08:15
Revolutionised the cluttered world of e-beauty with a product line and service scope which is completely unique and grounded in her passion and love for her Korean heritage!
Sophie
2020-02-08 08:23
Maree is incredibly hard working and kind. She’s brought a new lens to Korean beauty in the west.
Joe Heatley-Baillie
2020-02-08 08:25
Having worked previously with Maree I have seen first hand how dedicated she is to her work. She technically had two jobs, her day to day and her own business Beauty & Seoul. To manage both and make success out of it, takes someone with special talent, determination and hard work. She is an inspiration for so many and fully deserves this nomination.
Julie W
2020-02-11 06:25
Beauty and Seoul has been built with passion, Iove, extremely smart business sense, and with a very special connection to Korea which makes this business much more than a transaction. She not only found a niche, she has educated people and built brand awareness, not only on skincare, on Korea too. Go Maree!
Natalie Dent
2020-03-11 10:04
Maree is an inspiration, starting out with her on a graduate scheme she has gone from strength to strength and doing it on her own! it’s been amazing to see her journey from a far.
Jeannine Rafferty
2020-03-11 10:14
Maree has set up an absolutely incredible business! I am a very loyal customer - she's made it so easy to overhaul your skincare routine. She's always doing something to further the business, self-reflect, build the brand and improve the customer service. I don't know how she finds the time or the inspiration - amazing!
David Smyth
2020-03-11 10:29
100% growth mindset and an inspiration to other entrepreneurs!
Blessing
2020-03-11 10:34
I love how she has excelled in making Korean beauty products accessible to consumers in the UK.
Jayvik Patel
2020-03-11 11:07
She is determined, passionate and strong minded to really take the Beauty & Seoul brand globally. She is smart and works tirelessly to take the brand to new heights.
Nick
2020-03-11 12:37
Rapid growth business built meeting real customer needs.
Catriona Lindsay
2020-03-11 13:00
After returning to her home country for an amazing and emotional journey, Maree developed the passion to start up this amazingly successful business - very inspirational
Alexa
2020-03-11 13:30
Maree realised she was passionate about skincare and was able to identify a niche market and build out a successful brand.
andy grady-smith
2020-03-11 13:49
Marie has taken a very personal experience and channeled it into a fantastic innovation and growth business.
Josh
2020-03-11 21:24
Showed true entrepreneurial spirit seeing a gap in the market and founding a business while working full time. Showed immense courage to quit full time work to pursue her passion. She inspires business women around the world with her determination, down the earth nature and kind spirit.
Shuvam
2020-03-12 02:17
Maree had the courage to move out from a steady job and career and start a business with completely unknown potential.
Dan Dunn
2020-03-12 10:16
amazing hard worker with a business built on an incredible and inspirational story. Can't think of anyone who deserves it more
Ariana Franquesa
2020-03-12 14:25
Maree is a revolutionary inspiring woman in business bringing Korean beauty to the UK. An innovative leader and business entrepreneur!
Matt
2020-03-15 11:22
The rapid progression of Maree's business truly reflects her own drive/passion for her work and how devoted she is. Her success is incredibly inspiring to someone of the Asian community!
Miji Lee
2020-03-17 15:26
Maree’s creativity, passion, hard working and transparent way of woking with a professional business mind sets her apart from many other CEOs. Her genuine heart to help others is a plus which makes her lovable. Maree definitely deserves to win the award!
Unette Spencer
2020-03-24 05:16
I worked with Maree when she bold and brave and left a strong company and great job in search of her heritage. I had nothing but the utmost admiration for her when started her own import business. She has vision and drive and can get this done. Her journey has been incredible. She thoroughly deserves this award.
