# Eric Sung-Tsei Chen

> Eric Sung-Tsei Chen was the Taiwan-born founder and longtime CEO of Markwins Beauty Brands. He established the company in 1984 as a cosmetics importer and expanded it through compact makeup sets, vertically integrated operations, and acquisitions including wet n wild, Black Radiance, Physicians Formula, Lip Smacker, Bonne Bell, and LORAC. Former employee Amy Chang remembered his laboratory visits and discreet generosity to colleagues. He died in 2021.

- **Role:** Deceased; founder and former CEO at Markwins Beauty Brands
- **Organizations:** Markwins Beauty Brands, Markwins International
- **Nationality:** American
- **Known for:** Founded Markwins in 1984., Built a portfolio through acquisitions of AM Cosmetics, Physicians Formula, Lip Smacker and Bonne Bell, and LORAC., Markwins reported more than $580 million in 2017 sales and 35% growth.

## Career timeline

- **1984** — Founded Markwins as an importer of cosmetics from Taiwan.
- **1986** — Markwins introduced multi-palette compacts to the US market.
- **1992** — Launched The Color Workshop and The Color Institute.
- **2003** — Acquired AM Cosmetics, including wet n wild and Black Radiance.
- **2007** — Markwins announced a Disney licensing agreement.
- **2012** — Acquired Physicians Formula.
- **2015** — Acquired the US Lip Smacker and Bonne Bell business.
- **2017** — Acquired the international Lip Smacker and Bonne Bell business.
- **2018** — Added LORAC Cosmetics to the portfolio.
- **2019** — Markwins signed a China joint-venture agreement with UCO on June 6.
- **2020** — Appointed Eric Weeks president of sales and revenue for North America.
- **2021** — His death was announced in August; Lina Chen continued as chairman and CEO.

## Achievements

- Founded Markwins in 1984.
- Built a portfolio through acquisitions of AM Cosmetics, Physicians Formula, Lip Smacker and Bonne Bell, and LORAC.
- Markwins reported more than $580 million in 2017 sales and 35% growth.
- Led a business described in 2020 as employing more than 5,000 people and selling through more than 50,000 retail outlets.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Legacy company update: Markwins recognized five women who had advanced within the company; Alice Chen was identified as owner, chief marketing officer, and head of corporate communications.
- **2021-08** — Markwins announced Chen’s death at age 63; Lina Chen continued as chairman and CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://www.markwinsbeauty.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-chen-bb685952

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-14