The Abnormal CEO

At Deciem, NICOLA KILNER has the difficult job of carrying out the vision of its charismatic, self-destructive founder, Brandon Truaxe, who died in January. Can she forge ahead on her own? Or will the weight of Truaxe’s legacy be too much to bear?

- Carrie Battan

The new Deciem store in Manhattan has only been open for six weeks, but the company’s CEO, Nicola Kilner, is already at home there. It’s just beginning to feel like spring in New York when Kilner—who is 30, British, preternaturally cheerful, and approachable—pops into the pristine, wood-floored space wearing a floor-length blue floral sundress under a leather moto jacket. When the store’s employees notice her presence, they beam with delight that feels sincere—not just a performance of excitement because the boss is watching. “Hey, guys!” Kilner squeals.

“The last time I saw you, you were pregnant!” shrieks one female employee, miming a giant belly. Kilner giggles. Her three-month-old daughter, Mila, has accompanied her on this business trip, but this afternoon, the baby is back at the hotel with her caretaker for the day. “Mila’s with my husband, Sean, at the moment,” Kilner says. “She’s been good, but I think he’s finding it a bit tiring.”

Kilner turns to me. “Do you want to be color-matched and try out one of the foundations?” she asks before calling over Anthony, the store’s resident foundation expert. Six years into her tenure, Kilner still has a deep enthusiasm for Deciem’s products.