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SEATTLE — A growing beauty brand led by a former executive from Starbucks has secured more than $10 million in financing from a Silicon Valley venture capital firm.

Julep Beauty, founded by Jane Park, said it received $10.3 million in Series B financing from Andreessen Horowitz, led by former Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen. Maveron — the venture capital firm co-founded by investor Dan Levitan and Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz — participated in the funding.

Despite a wavering economy, all of the U.S. prestige beauty categories enjoyed healthy growth in 2012, according to global information company the NPD Group, which presented in late January the U.S. and global beauty industry's first look at 2012 year-end results for skin care, makeup and fragrance at its annual "Hot off the Press" event at the Harmonie Club in New York.

Cosmetic Executive Women — a professional organization in the beauty, cosmetics, fragrance and related industries — partnered with the NPD Group to host this year's event.

NEW YORK — Sanofi US was named corporate partner of the year by the Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation (CCCF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing colorectal cancer incidence and death throughout the United States, and presented with CCCF's annual Blue Star Corporate Award.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Ahold has appointed the former head of one of its European supermarket chains to an executive position in its U.S. division.

Ahold USA said it appointed Jan van Dam as EVP supply chain and e-commerce, in which he will focus on supply chain for the company's four U.S. divisions, Stop & Shop in the New York area and New England, Giant-Landover and Giant-Carlisle. He will also be responsible for the company's e-commerce business with Andrew Parkinson, president and general manager of online grocery company Peapod, reporting to him.

CHICAGO — The Network of Executive Women on Friday named Donna Giordano, president of the Ralphs division of Kroger, and Monica Turner, general manager of market strategy and planning for Procter & Gamble, co-chairs of the NEW Executive Leaders Forum 2013.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — H. D. Smith on Tuesday announced the establishment of H. D. Smith Specialty Solutions, an organization structured to provide focus and alignment around specialty and traditional brand products, solutions and services. The wholesaler also announced the realignment of select executive leadership positions to best capitalize on the growing needs resulting from recent geographic and service expansions. These expansions include the acquisition of Valley Wholesale Drug in October 2012 and a planned majority ownership investment in Triplefin announced in January 2013.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The retired head of Midwestern supermarket chain Hy-Vee took home the top honor at a recent supermarket industry conference.

The Food Marketing Institute said Monday that it gave its most prestigious honor — the Sidney R. Rabb Award for excellence in serving the consumer, the community and the industry — to retired Hy-Vee chairman and CEO Ric Jurgens at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Food Marketing Institute gave an outgoing executive one of its top awards at a supermarket industry conference, the group said Monday.

FMI gave VP government relations Anne McGhee Curry its Glen P. Woodard, Jr. Award for her work in public affairs over the last three decades. Curry will retire from FMI at the end of this month.

PLANO, Texas — Crossmark, a sales and marketing services company in the consumer goods industry, has announced several executive moves, including the appointment of Joe Crafton as CEO. He previously served as company president.

ATLANTA — The worst of the flu season may be over, at least for those on the East Coast. In a late morning press conference with reporters on Friday, Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "We are seeing a decrease in some regions." 

Just don't tell that to anyone living in New York, Boston or Chicago, at least not before slipping on a facemask first.  

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Generic drug maker Watson Pharmaceuticals has hired a former executive from the Generic Pharmaceutical Association to head lobbying at the federal and state level, the company said Wednesday.

Watson announced the appointment of James Fenton as VP U.S. government affairs. In the new position, Fenton will work out of Watson's Washington offices and will be responsible for leading the company's expanded federal and state government affairs activities.