Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast: Recent Episodes
P&G Alumni Network
Anyone who’s worked at a great company knows it’s all about the people. Good managers, great leaders - in and beyond the business. Through conversations with P&G Alumni leaders, we go deeper with the leaders you know, but want to know more about. This is Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast. pgalums.com/podcast
Learnings from Leaders is a production of the P&G Alumni Network (pgalums.com) — an officially recognized, global nonprofit by former P&G’ers committed to community, enrichment, and philanthropy. With more than 45,000 members worldwide, the Network connects through global conferences, local chapters, industry events, and online content. Our nonprofit Foundation supports economic empowerment in communities around the world.
“Leadership is about doing the right thing - beyond politics - for the purpose and values of the country.”
Once again, this election may be the most important of our lifetime, so we hope you’ve made your plan to VOTE.
Bob McDonald - former P&G CEO and US Secretary of Veterans Affairs - returns to our podcast to share his unique perspective on service, leadership, people, and values and the choice we are making at this moment in our history. Beyond being a P&G Alum and an army veteran, Bob’s served Republican and Democratic Presidents. His political engagement is wide, and purpose-driven - always seeking to transcend party politics. This is a reply of our conversation from October 2020 - in the midst of our LAST presidential election - but much of what we discussed is still relevant in THIS election.
Many of our leaders - across both sides of the aisle - have expressed their concerns in THIS 2024 election for our community and country. On one hand, we face a retreat and possible return to our nation's darker impulses of grievance and division. On the other, a new path forward, rooted in a greater purpose, values and principles, for the next generation. No matter what generation you belong to...if you can vote, please do. If you have friends who are on the fence, talk to them, make the case rooted in our common purpose values, and principles, and get them to vote. It's all on the line. And the next generation of leaders is counting on all of us.
“We shouldn't follow leaders, mentors, and gurus, but we should listen for their words that affect us. See if they spark insight or truth for you. Keep what works, leave the rest behind. “
Bob Gilbreath is longtime friend of the Pod, and fellow P&G Alum - who's also a repeat startup founder with two exits. His latest post “Don't Follow Mentors, Seek Signposts” shares a personal anecdotes that is applicable to us all. There are countless people, living and dead, who have shared a scrap of useful advice that helped in a moment and has sticks with us over time. These words - or signposts - can literally re-shape our way of seeing the world, making us better at work and life. Bob now serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Hearty, a people-tech company, as well as a few other interesting ventures. While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide, Mr. Clean, and more. Bob authored books and shares real-life stories of his business ups-and-downs in his weekly newsletter “the Workaround” - which you can subscribe to @ beheartly.substack.com
This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode - reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
“If you're getting stuck in your career, it's important to see if you are overly weighted towards mentors and need to bring a few more sponsors into your inner circle.”
Jessica Gleeson is the CEO of BrighterBeauty and founder of Experiential Retail. Jessica is an experienced international executive with a passion for helping purpose driven brands scale with integrity. She is a 20-year veteran of Starbucks, where she held a variety of leadership roles as the company grew from 50 stores in the US to 55 countries globally. Jessica also held senior roles in China for iconic brands like the Walt Disney Company and Claire’s Accessories. Jessica is committed to helping organizations understand how to better engage with Chinese businesses and consumers globally. Recently recognized by IPWS with their Lifetime Achievement Award, Jessica works actively to advocate for placing women on executive boards, because the data shows it is just good business. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about mentorship, sponsorship, and knowing what it takes to win in China.
This is part of our Chinese leaders series - hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
“Make every decision in your career on the basis of values and principles, and you will be successful.”
Fernando Aguirre is the former CEO of Chiquita Brands International, and currently a Professional Baseball Owner - as CEO of the Erie SeaWolves (AA affiliate for the Detroit Tigers), and Vice-chair of Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Advanced A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs). Fernando also owned a minority position in the Cincinnati Reds for 14 years before divesting in 2019. Fernando got his start at P&G - where he worked for 23+ years - during which he was President of P&G Brazil.
Fernando currently serves on several boards - some of which include CVS Health, Synchrony Financial, and Duke’s Fuqua school of business. He’s previously served on the boards of Aetna, Coca Cola, Levi’s, Univision, and USC’s Marshall School of Business. Fernando’s been active in the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethic, the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, received the NFL's Hispanic Heritage Leadership award in 2011. AND - He was the first Hispanic CEO to participate in CBS’s Undercover Boss. In a spanning conversation of fantastic stories, get ready for some lessons learned across cultures, and around the world.
This is a replay from one of our earliest episodes in 2021 - celebrating Hispanic P&G Alumni leadership this Hispanic Heritage Month. Got a favorite past guest, or idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
"Recruit the right people with the right principles."
Jorge Montoya was President of P&G Latin America from 1999-2004. Having spent 30 years rising through the ranks of P&G - his expertise extends across all international business. Jorge currently serves on the boards of Gap, Inc and Kroger - and was named among the 50 most important Hispanics in Business & Technology. His foundation with his wife supports underserved children’s education in Peru and Venezuela.
Jorge shares his story - growing up in Peru (the son of a teacher), becoming an All-America NCAA soccer player, and setting up a company in a foreign country. He shares the importance of building a business culture without compromising ethics and integrity. And ultimately, for Jorge, the most important results come from growing your business, and growing your organization.
This is a replay from one of our earliest episodes in 2020 - celebrating Hispanic P&G Alumni leadership this Hispanic Heritage Month. Got a favorite past guest, or idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
“Distraction is not a technology problem or a moral failing. The vast majority of distraction is simply that you have not learned the skill of dealing with discomfort. Master internal triggers, or they will become your master.”
Nir Eyal is a best-selling author and instructor working at the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. In a research-driven conversation about his latest book “INDISTRACTABLE - How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life,” we learn about what really drives distraction — which is less about flashy external stimuli, and more about our own internal discomfort. The good news is, it’s not out of reach, by better understanding our internal triggers - it just might be possible to get back to a focus that feels so far gone. The good news is, It's not out of reach, and Nir shares some great tips to get started.
Indistractable received critical acclaim, winning the Outstanding Works of Literature Award as well as being named one of the Best Business and Leadership Books by The Globe and Mail and Amazon, and among the Best Personal Development Books of the Year by Audible. Nir is also the author of “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” — his books have resonated with readers worldwide, selling over 1 million copies in over 30 languages.
Nir’s writing and work has been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Harvard Business Review, The M.I.T. Technology Review, Time Magazine, Psychology Today. Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003, and invests in habit-forming products that improve users’ lives including Eventbrite (NYSE:EB), Anchor.fm (acquired by Spotify), Kahoot!, Canva, Homelight, Product Hunt, Marco Polo, Byte Foods, FocusMate, Dynamicare, Wise App, and Sunnyside. Nir previously taught in the Business and Design schools at Stanford University, and Nir attended The Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.
This is a re-airing of a podcast conversation from P&G Alumni Podcast co-host Sharad Lal’s other top podcast “HOW TO LIVE” - for lots more great conversations with Sharad and thought leaders, subscribe to How To Live wherever you get your favorite podcasts, or visit howtolive.life
Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode - reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
“He bears witness - in a very disarming way - what's really going on in this country.” “It’s often expressed without a single word, vivid enough that It hits a bit differently — It's not sugar coated — this is what they're up against.”
BURMA CHRONICLES is the 2007 graphic travelog by French-Canadian cartoonist Guy Delisle — which presents a personal and distinctively humorous glimpse into a political hotspot on the other side of the world, where the Delisle balances his ex-pat home-husbandry, the spinning politics a quasi-authoritarian state, and finding a way as a foreign cartoonist amidst a South Asian junta. You’ll enjoy this This is a bonus, candid conversation between co-hosts Raman & Drew from another podcast, covering a lots of interesting comics, travel, and life learnings.
LEARN MORE
- BOOK: goodreads.com/book/show/5596923-burma-chronicles
- BURMA: wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar
- DREW: AndrewTarvin.com
“It's not all a straight line up — there are ups and downs. Success is defined just as much in the times where you struggle and you pick yourself up and you continue going.”
Samantha Avivi is the CMO at Bayer Consumer Health, North America. She has over 30 years of experience in 40+ countries, working with some of the world’s largest brands and companies - from Y&R, BBDO, P&G, Kimberly Clark, ADT, Tenneco, and Advance Auto Parts. Sam grew up in Florida and before moving to NYC to rise through the ranks of the ad agency world before taking a chance on a mock-interview at P&G. Her journey is a reminder of the importance of curiosity, and being open to non-linear paths for personal and professional learning. Sam attended the University of Florida, is married to her high school sweetheart, has 3 kids, and is an avid runner. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on the influence of family and exploring new and different paths to find what truly makes us happy.
This conversation was hosted by Ida Abdalkhani, Change Catalyzer — an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and P&G Alumni Board Member.
“ These obelisks are the world's first globally distributed product. Layers and layers of history - these obelisks moved around and stand in modern societies — that's a story to tell.”
Mark Ciccone is a P&G Alum and author of the new book “OBELISK ODYSSEY: 26 Ancient Monoliths, 4 Continents, and 1 Monumental Search for Meaning.” With a presence on four continents, the 26 surviving granite monuments are history's most mysterious objects. and meaningful man made objects, each with its own voice and message for the world. Mark set out to see each one, embarking on a six month, 25, 000 mile odyssey from his town of Boston to Egypt, England, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, and beyond, to discover what these ancient voices have to say about religion, technology, tribalism, and conflicts of all kinds. You can purchase OBELISK ODYSSEY here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCKP9PNL
After 32 years with P&G, Mark became a consultant, first with the Monitor Group in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then as President of Retail Net Group, a boutique consulting firm specializing in retail innovation. Mark also is an instructor at Duquesne University’s semester abroad program in Rome where he has taught several undergraduate business classes. In semi retirement, Mark found meaning lying in the stone quarries of North Africa, the Egyptian obelisk. In this conversation amongst longtime Alum friends, you’ll hear about Mark + Qaisar’s many adventures, conversations, and reflections across the world.
Hosting this conversation is longtime friend of the pod Qaisar Shareef, a fellow P&G alum and author, who’s led many parts of the organization from Pakistan to Ukraine to the US. This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode - reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
“There is no bigger weight than the weight of trust. One of my leadership mantras became: You never need to earn my trust. You can only lose it.”
Ravi Chaturvedi is an experienced leader with a proven track record of success across seven countries, both
developed and developing. Ravi became P&G’s first ever Asian President and member of the Global Leadership Council, after a 2 decade long career with the company. Ravi was also Group Chief Executive of Jet Airways for a short tenure.Ravi has also served as a consultant and advisor to the Nitto Denko Corporation in Japan. For the CEO Council of Lighthouse Funds, Ravi advised portfolio CEOs of companies across industries. He’s also served as advisor to Marico and to Emami, Indian consumer goods companies that are expanding internationally.Ravi is a Senior Fellow in the Management Department of the Wharton School of Business, and has been a Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. Ravi received his BA from the University of Delhi, and Master of Management Studies from the Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Master of Management Studies. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation between old colleagues - and hear the wisdom that has impacted many leaders from Ravi’s storied career.
This is part of our Asian leaders series - hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
“What does balance look like? It doesn't mean 50/50 all the time or 100% and zero. Balance is something that happens over time, it's a flow. It's not just an everyday balance - it's more like an ongoing balance.”
Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson is Pandora Jewelery’s CMO & SVP of Global Business Units, and a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team. Mary Carmen’s 25+ years of experience across multiple industries - and cultures - have given her a unique perspective on navigating the elusive-for-many idea of “work /life” balance and creating structures that enable longer-term flow. She has more than 20 years of experience building and expanding consumer brands in categories such as fragrances, beauty, personal care, and women’s health. Mary Carmen previously served as Unilever’s Global Vice President working on mens personal care brands like Axe & Lynx. She spent 22+ years at P&G, getting her start as a product development engineer, and rising thru roles in brand and general management - from Haircare, Cosmetics, Skincare, Prestige Fragrances, Consumer Health, and P&G Ventures. Mary Carmen has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Xavier University. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on the importance of advocacy in one’s career, and clarity on priorities and the development of frameworks to create the life you want
This conversation is hosted by Ida Abdalkhani, Change Catalyzer — an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and P&G Alumni Board Member.
“ Money and time are eerily linked. There's free time, leisure time, time off, flex time, and down time. When we manage ourselves well, we have more freedom and better lives.”
Bob Gilbreath is longtime friend of the Pod, and fellow P&G Alum - who's also a repeat startup founder with two exits. His latest post “Mind on your Money, Time and Freedom” is a continuation of last week’s post on time/mind management. For us, we need to remember that money and time are often linked. We spend time, save time, invest time, and buy time. Freedom is entwined with time, too. There’s free time, leisure time, time off, flex time, and downtime. Bob shares ways to improve your life by making better daily decisions about time, money, and freedom. From the basic, tactical choices — to laddering up to big-picture strategy with a personal story from his childhood that still drives him today.
Bob now serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Hearty, a people-tech company, as well as a few other interesting ventures. While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide and Mr. Clean - and Mr. Clean Auto Dry, and even Fit fruit and vegetable wash. Bob authored books and shares real-life stories of his business ups-and-downs in his weekly newsletter “the Workaround” - which you can subscribe to @ beheartly.substack.com
This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode - reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
"We have more free time than ever — but why does it feel like we are so busy? We have more freedom and decision making options than ever — so we've got to add new programming to our lives."
Bob Gilbreath is longtime friend of the Pod, and fellow P&G Alum - who's also a repeat startup founder with two exits. His latest post “Time Management is Mind Management” covers To-Don't Lists, Asynchronicity, Meeting Strategically and People Power. While countless books, blogs, podcasts, and software solutions aim to help us better manage our calendars, inboxes, feeds, and habits — we lack time to listen to or learn from them. And it feels like once we manage some part of our day, two more new things suck us in. Bob hit a breakthrough in the past few years when I realized a higher level of the game: Managing our minds better is critical to managing our time better. You’ll hear strategic ways to understand and choose ways of living that give you more time back and make more meaningful moments throughout your day.
Bob now serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Hearty, a people-tech company, as well as a few other interesting ventures. While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide and Mr. Clean - and Mr. Clean Auto Dry, and even Fit fruit and vegetable wash. Bob authored books and shares real-life stories of his business ups-and-downs in his weekly newsletter “the Workaround” - which you can subscribe to @ beheartly.substack.com
This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode - reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
"In your 20s learn how businesses work, how humans work. In your 30s implement your knowledge and make money. And in your 40s start giving back to younger people and society.”
Shaun Rein is the Founder and Managing Director of the China Market Research Group (CMR), the world's leading strategic market intelligence firm focused on China. Shaun is internationally popular economics speaker who works with boards, billionaires, heads of states, CEOs and senior executives of Fortune 500 & leading Chinese companies, private equity firms, SMEs and long/ hedge funds to develop their China growth, political and investment strategies. Shaun is the author of international best-sellers "The War for China's Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order," "The End of Cheap China" & "The End of Copycat China" — and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, the New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS, CNN, BBC, CNBC, PBS, CNBC, NPR / APM Marketplace, and MSNBC. Born in New Hampshire, Shaun earned his BA from McGill University and his MA from Harvard. He’s previously taught executive education classes for London Business School and has served on the Board of Trustees for St. Paul's School. Shaun lives in Shanghai, China.
This is part of our Chinese leaders series - hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
”Being a writer is just bloody hard work and passion. It is a kind of madness, which compels you every day to go to say, ‘OK, let's do it again today’ “
Manreet Sodhi Someshwar is the author of nine novels - including the Long Walk Home, Radiance of a Thousand Suns, and most recently the Partition Trilogy - a historical fiction novel series about one of the great human tragedies of the 20th century. Manreet’s articles and essays have appeared in the NY Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the South China Morning Post, among others. Manreeet has taught for the New York Public Library and the City College of New York - and she’s a former corporate citizen having done stints in Asia, and a parent grappling with the world our kids will inherit. Manreet’s recently complete Partition Trilogy - a series of 3 books titled Lahore, Hyderabad, and Kashmir - are a historical fiction set during, before, and immediately after the Partition - and independence of - India and Pakistan of 1947. Partition is among the the great humanitarian disasters of the 20th century - and the largest mass migration in history. The history of Partition impacts and informs much of what is happening today, in both Asia, and the United States - from the tensions between India and Pakistan, and the rise of nationalism / extremism in our politics around the world. Manreet’s unique voice focuses not just on the personal musings of these larger than life historical figures - like India’s founding fathers Gandhi & Nehru, but she also breathes life into characters who represent the stats and figures that we sometimes gloss over when we hear of a tragedy (including the role - and subversion of women by history). This is a powerful conversation about the weaponization of history, and how storytelling - and fact-checking - have to work hand in hand to inform the next generation.
This is a past conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that we hope will provide new perspectives and learnings.
“Delegation is making sure you’ve framed the work to expand the impact of you and your team, in a way that has healthy boundaries and the individual can build their skills.”
Dawn Garibaldi Is an executive coach who partners with leaders to amplify their impact by mastering complexity, extending their influence, building unstoppable teams and breaking through barriers. Her clients create distinctive, enduring and outstanding transformations in business and organizational performance. Prior to becoming a coach, Dawn spent over 30 years at Procter & Gamble with responsibility for businesses up to $12 billion in revenue and managing organizations of up to 3,000 people. Her experience includes startup, expansion and restructuring international markets in Asia, North America, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe. Dawn has guided 100’s of individuals, teams and organizations to achieve greater success through the confidence to push the boundaries of what is possible and deliver the extraordinary. Dawn is a Co-Active Coach with Certifications from the Coaches Training Institute and the International Coaching Federation. She holds a BS degree from the University of Rochester, is a member of Faculty at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management and speaks four languages. Dawn lives near Denver, CO with her family and enjoys snow skiing, traveling and reading cook books.
This is part of our P&G Alumni Coaching series diving deep on relevant career coaching topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free first session @ coaching.pgalums.com
"Be bolder sooner - it's not just about my career, it’s about life in general.”
Alex Keith leads Procter & Gamble’s global Beauty business: the world’s 4th largest beauty company, with a $15 billion portfolio with six billion dollar brands. Alex is the only female CEO of a top 5 beauty company. Since taking leadership of P&G’s Beauty portfolio in 2017, Alex has driven the sector’s turnaround. As Executive Sponsor for Corporate Sustainability, Alex works alongside P&G’s Chief Sustainability Officer to guide the Company’s sustainability progress. She is also the company’s Executive Sponsor of LGBTQ+ Equality & Inclusion. During Alex’s 34 years with P&G, she has worked in Product Supply, Brand Management and General Management, spanning multiple categories across Fabric Care and Beauty, in North America, Asia, and Europe regions. In 2020, Alex was elected to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Board of Directors. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alex holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona. She lives in Geneva, Switzerland with her husband, Chris Keith.
"Ignore arrogance and make convenience meet relevance. Consider these elements to know what is convenient and relevant for the customer.”
Bernd Pichler is Aston Martin’s Managing Director, Greater China. Bernd was previously Managing Director for Bentley Motors in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, where he oversaw all local operations and sales in the company’s second-largest region. Having lived and worked in Asia since 2005, Bernd has more than two decades of leadership experience and a track record of driving commercial growth in China for major automotive brands, including within the luxury segment.
This is part of our Chinese leaders series - hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
"This type of work gives us agency — things become a choice versus us becoming victims of life led on autopilot.”
Roula Clerc-Nassar is an seasoned leader and coach - as well as an expert on human understanding and insightful research. Roula’s focus is growing people and building high performing teams, as well as applying neuroscience to coaching to help create transformation and lasting change. Before founding Ellumine Consulting & Coaching, Roula spent 24 years in 2 leading Multinational companies:
PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble, where she began her career in Morocco before moving to the UK and later Switzerland. Her last position was Vice President of Insights at PepsiCo Europe. She is a national of 3 countries in 3 different continents and has worked with clients and teams across the globe. You’ll enjoy this candid coaching conversation on how to reconcile values that comes into conflict, and makeing thoughtful, intentional choices for work and life.
This is a continuation of our series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep on relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free first session @ coaching.pgalums.com.
" I knew the why about my job, the why about lots of things in life. I hadn't really given thought to what I would call the deep questions of life. I started thinking about helping others in a fresh way.”
Denis Beausejour is an Author, Executive, Pastor, Papa (and Grandpapa) based in Cincinnati, OH. Denis recently published his first book, “The Biggest Idea Ever.” Denis started his career at P&G, where over the course of 22 years served in a variety of marketing and advertising rules, including executive assignments in Canada, Australia, Japan, China, and the US where he was the VP of Advertising before retiring. Following a spiritual adventure, Denis left P&G and completed seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, then led Answers for Life, the ministry of Dr. Henry Cloud before becoming Senior Pastor at Mariemont Church before retiring in 2022. Denis shares not just about his P&G career progression, but also about the makings and execution of a big career pivot that left some of his colleagues baffled, and the importance of passing down wisdom to the next generation of leaders, which in Denis’ case, is through his book. Denis has been married to his wife Marianne for 42 years, and enjoys spending time with his 4 children and 10 grandchildren, with their eleventh on the way. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about making big changes to lead a fulfilling life.
" We are a social species designed to work together — and this happens through so much more than words. It's in hundreds of unconscious things we do and notice when we're together.”
Bob Gilbreath is longtime friend of the Pod, and fellow P&G Alum - who's also a repeat startup founder with two exits in the marketing technology and agency world. Bob now serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Hearty, a people-tech company, as well as a few other interesting ventures. While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide and Mr. Clean - and Mr. Clean Auto Dry, and even Fit fruit and vegetable wash. Bob’s authored books and launched several successful newsletters . In his latest Substack newsletter - the Workaround (beheartly.substack.com) - Bob shares real-life stories of his business ups-and-downs. Bob’s latest pieces is titled "in person is a 10x" about the magic that comes when we get together - because you can't co-create something special without being in the same room.
LEARN ABOUT BOB - behearty.substack.com
This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode - reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
"A lot of these values and principles are very universal — it applies in China, but it applies anywhere.”
Trevor Lai is an award-winning entrepreneur, author and illustrator who published his first children's book at the age of seventeen. He is also the founder and CEO of Up Studios, a China-based production company — featured as one of the "Top 25 Animation Studios" in the world to watch by Animation Magazine. Up Studios - the creative force behind much loved Chinese shows like Piggy, Tomo and BOOMi - has received large investments from Chinese tech giant Tencent. When he’s not creating world-class animated stories, Trevor loves to play ice hockey in China and traveling around the world. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about creativity, inspiration, and perseverance .
This is the first in our series of Learning from Leaders from China - hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com
"It truly is a matter of exploring, discovery, knowing your boundaries - to gradually get there. The key is to keep your eye on the North Star - what is it that makes you come alive?”
Bernice Ang is an Executive Coach who helps senior leaders design a purpose-centered personal brand, enabling them to integrate their work and personal lives so they can thrive, not just survive. Bernice started her career in Brand Management in P&G Asia Pacific. From there, she took on several Global Marketing leadership roles in the US with Coca-Cola, Pepsico, and Mars-Wrigley. Five years ago, Bernice left her corporate career to pursue her dream of becoming an Executive Coach. Today, she is among the top 4% of professional coaches who holds a Master Certified Coach designation, the highest credential awarded by the International Coach Federation. Bernice also helped co-found the P&G Alumni Network Coaching program, ringing together Professionally certified Executive Coaches with proven track records. You’ll enjoy this candid and very personal conversation about IKIGAI - the Japanese concept which encourages people to discover what truly matters to them - to live a life filled with purpose and joy.
This is a continuation of our series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep on relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free first session @ coaching.pgalums.com.
"How do you express what you want in a way that activates you, is unignorable, and automatically aligns your beliefs, your values, and how you show up in the world?”
Bonnie Wan knows what it feels like to struggle with burnout and uncertainty about where to go next. As a celebrated advertising strategist she spent years helping brands like Pepsi and BMW get clarity on their values and purpose, but she one day found herself mired and directionless in her own life–a “recovering perfectionist” with a crumbling marriage, a big job, and three young children. So she put her “work brain” to work - and sketched out a creative brief (one of the key tools of the ad trade) for herself, granting clarity on what was missing and what she really wanted in her life. Not only did “the Life Brief” save Bonnie’s marriage, recenter her parenting, and catapult her career (she was named Ad Age’s Chief Strategy Officer last year)—it has since gone on to help thousands of others through her speaking at Apple, Bain & Co, Change.org, Google, Goop, Jane Goodall’s “Activating Hope” Summit, SXSW and more. Her new book — “THE LIFE BRIEF: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living “ — creates a clear guide for anyone to break through life’s clutter and create deeper meaning through three simple stages: Get Messy. Get Clear. Get Active. This is a perfect conversation to help so many of us who seem to “have it all” yet feel restless or rudderless.
This is a past conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that we hope will provide new perspectives and learnings.
“It often pays to believe in people more than they believe in themselves. Give them a bit more than they think they can handle. And everyone is going to be rewarded.”
Stefan Homeister is the host of Leitwolf, a business podcast exploring the key to leadership performance sustainably and improving business results - where he’s had conversations with P&G Alums like David Taylor, Paul Polman, and many leaders beyond the Alumni universe. Stefan’s also the Founder of Stefan Homeister Leadership, a consultancy whose focus is on improving leadership performance and strategy via consulting, training, coaching, keynotes. Stefan’s held a diverse career as Sales & Marketing Director of SAB Miller Europe and CMO for T-Mobile Germany where he had P&L responsibility for more than $8 billion. Stefan started his career at Procter & Gamble in various sales and marketing roles in Frankfurt, Brussels, and Geneva before becoming the Marketing Director for Healthcare and Pharma DACH.
In this candid conversation - we’ll explore principles and ideas on leadership, branding, legacy, and what can can be learned through the lens of podcasts, conversations, and storytelling. Be sure to check out Leitwolf wherever you get your favorite podcasts. https://stefan-homeister-leadership.com/en/podcast
“There's no question — if you want to keep a brand viable, you have to continue innovating. If you don't, it's not going to last.”
Gordon Brunner, is P&G’s former Chief Technology Officer - leading the company’s technical community, and even serving on the Board of Directors. Gordon’s a returning P&G Alumni Podcast guest also the co-author of SUPERIOR PRODUCTS, a new book sharing a first-ever look at the technical innovations behind some of world’s leading consumer brands — as well as the systems, culture, and leadership principles that produced the products and sustained innovation. While many pay lip service to the importance of innovation and product superiority - Gordon and many other technical leaders know that words simply won’t cut it. Product superiority must be demanded, rewarded, and celebrated - with org structures and processes built to achieve it, led by senior line and R&D leadership, but importantly starting with the CEO and Board of Directors. In this conversation Gordon shares stories behind the products we love - what worked and didn’t - with lessons that are for more than just R&D’ers, but also rising business executives and students who want to foster an environment of innovation.
Check out SUPERIOR PRODUCTS as an eBook / Kindle, or wherever your favorite books are sold. And for even more of Gordon Brunner’s learnings from his time as P&G’s CTO, be sure check out our past podcast conversation from September 2021 and November 2022.
"I had an authentic connection to the problem - a perspective on cultural connection. So it wasn't powering through rejection, it was neglecting it - because I just knew something they didn't.“
Tristan Walker is the Founder of Walker & Company Brands, where he was also the CEO when it was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2018. Walker & Co. is best known for best-selling brands like Bevel & Form - Healthy and Beauty designed for communities of color. Prior to Founding Walker & Co, Tristan was Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Andreessen Horowitz, the prominent venture capital firm. He also served as Director of Business Development for Foursquare - managing strategic partnerships with brands like American Express, The New York Times, CNN, MTV, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Starbucks. Tristan’s also had experiences with Boston Consulting Group and Twitter. Currently, Tristan serves on the Boards of Foot Locker, Shake Shack, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Tristan is also the Founder and Board Chairman of CODE2040, a program that matches high-performing Black and Latino undergraduate and graduate coders and software engineering students with Silicon Valley start-ups for summer internships. Fortune Magazine named him as one out of 50 of the “World’s Greatest Leaders.” You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about neglecting the laziness of others, and truly empathizing with your customer’s experiences.
This is a replay of a past episode from February 2022 - from our partners at P&G’s “More Than Soap” Podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation and AI Integration Strategy. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios? Reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“I was speaking up to respected people in the industry and telling them they were wrong. But we were getting the story right.”
Geraldine Moriba’s a 5-time Emmy Award winning journalist, filmmaker, and advocate — the host and executive producer of “Sounds Like Hate,” a podcast by the Southern Poverty Law Center - documenting how American extremists become radicalized and how some of them change. Geraldine’s also SVP of of news and entertainment at The Grio - a black-owned media platform owned by businessman and philanthropist Byron Allen. A media and journalism veteran, Geraldine’s held senior roles at CNN, NBC, PBS, ABC, and CBC - including being vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion for CNN Worldwide. A Canadian-Jamaican living in New York, Geraldine’s never accepted setbacks on her journey - they were just challenges to overcome. From confronting racist administrators in college, to accepting a fax-machine invitation, Geraldine built a career that would always challenge for the right story to be told. You can learn more about Geraldine’s work at Soundslikehate.org // splcenter.org
This is a past conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that we hope will provide new perspectives and learnings.
“Making improvements is challenging. But we can't give up and we've got to learn how to do it better.” “Speak, engage, help, be helped. Be part of society. Be an optimist towards the fact that people can change, that people can learn.”
John Pepper, P&G’s former CEO, and Ursula Burns, Xerox’s former CEO, sit down for a candid conversation on race, understanding and our discourse with each other. This is a conversation the two longtime friends have been having for years - alongside many of us. While John needs no introduction to many, Ursula’s impressive career is worth sharing...
Ursula M. Burns is the Retired Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation and VEON Limited — and among the first Black women to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Ursula is also a founding partner of Integrum Holdings, Non-Executive Chairman of Teneo Holdings LLC, and the Executive Chairman of Plum Acquisition Corp. At Xerox, Ursula served from 2009-2017, having joined as a summer intern in 1980, after which she rose through the ranks across corporate services, manufacturing and product development. Ursula also serves on several corporate boards, including Uber Technologies, Exxon Mobil, Endeavor Group Holdings, Waystar and Hear.com Ursula’s also involved in leadership counsel for the Ford Foundation, MIT, the Cornell Tech Board, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Mayo Clinic, among others.
From 2009-2016, President Barack Obama appointed Ursula to lead the White House national program on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Ursula also led the President’s Export Council from 2010 - 2016. In February 2022, Burns joined the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Ursula is a mechanical engineering alumni of Columbia University and NYU - and she’s a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the G7 Gender Equity Advisory Council.
This is a replay of a past episode, originally recorded on February 25, 2022. This is an important conversation we hope will make many think and feel more deeply. While each of our guests are part of some great organizations who support the sharing of our views, these are the views of our guests alone. Got ideas for future deep dive topics with past and future guests? Reach out to pgalumpod@gmail.com
“Really great leaders oftentimes will surround themselves with people who have contrary opinions who have differing sorts of thoughts.”
Dr. Barbara Oakley is a Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Barbara was a captain in the U.S. Army, a Russian translator on Soviet trawlers, a radio operator in the South Pole, and the author of 8 books. She is also the creator and instructor of Learning to Learn, the most popular Massive Open Online Course ever with over one million enrolled students.
But Barbara is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation and AI Integration Strategy. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“Enjoy the journey, take stock in how you're learning, how you're building your experience, your brand. It's that openness and that patience that actually creates the opportunities for exponential success.”
Andrew Swinand is the CEO of the Creative Group across all Publicis agencies, as well as the CEO of Leo Burnett
As CEO, Andrew leads the agency by emphasizing the power of transparency in regards to data, and balances that with the creativity needed to drive businesses forward for clients. He was also the founder and CEO of marketing startup, The Abundancy, and co-founded its holding company Abundant Venture Partners (AVP), an incubator focused on building media and healthcare companies. Prior to that, he was president of Starcom MediaVest Group, the world’s largest media agency. He also proudly served his country as a platoon leader in the U.S. Army. Andrew has been recognized by Advertising Age as a "Media Maven," and was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement in 2008. Andrew has founded 9 companies, with 7 exits. And even worked on the Reflect Brand at P&G. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about focusing on problems to solve, cultivating a curious soul, and practicing kind leadership.
“The thing that terrifies you the most is where all the gold is — and my experience is when you bust through, there's really incredible things on the other side.”
Katherine Vellinga is the Co-founder and CEO of Zirkova, an award-winning ultra-premium vodka brand. She is a Ukrainian Canadian who first pursued a career with P&G in Product Supply but after the fall of the Soviet Union, she left P&G and moved to a newly independent Ukraine. This is where Katherine developed her love for the origins and birthplace of vodka and was compelled to share this remarkable story of women Master Distillers, classical methods, and extraordinary spirits. Zirkova is now the top-selling vodka produced in Ukraine that is sold in Canada. More than just a brand, Katherine's vision for Zirkova is a reflection of her own beliefs, of standing for the freedom to be and celebrate who you are, to toast and acknowledge others, and to create special moments that bring people together, so that everyone feels like they are part of one table. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about creating moments that unite, not allowing fear to guide our decisions and creating a life by design vs default.
“A mentor is someone who advises you and helps you become smarter about your world. A sponsor is someone who advocates for you when you're not in the room and enables you to be better.”
Karen C. Francis serves as Chairman of the Board of Vontier, a global transportation / mobility technology company, as well as on the Board of Polestar Automotive and Senior Advisor to TPG Global. Karen made a name for herself as one of the youngest female leaders in the automotive industry, serving as General Manager of the $8 billion Oldsmobile Division of General Motors and then as Vice President of Ford Motor Company, where she was responsible for the corporate venture capital group and global technology-driven business strategies. Karen transitioned to Silicon Valley fifteen years ago and is deeply engaged with emerging automotive technology companies. Karen’ts career has also included executive positions at Procter & Gamble, Internet Capital Group, Bain & Company, Berol Corporation, and Publicis. Karen graduated from Dartmouth College and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. And is Owner of Limerick Lane Cellars, a 53 acre estate vineyard property in Northern California. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about mentorship and advocacy.
“We don't understand people we disagree with, and being challenged by the news is something people find refreshing. I figured I couldn't be the only person out there who wanted that — and it turns out I'm not.”
So it’s a new year, and it’s going to be an interesting one, so what better way to start 2024 by an introduction to a different perspective? P&G Alumni Co-host Rajiv Satyal - beyond being a world-class entertainer and comedian - also hosts the TanGent show, featuring conversations from fields of entertainment, politics, business, religion, and tech. Rajiv recently sat down with journalist Isaac Saul, whose newsletter and podcast TANGLE NEWS (ReadTangle.com) is an increasingly relevant source of independent, non-partisan source summarizing the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day. Rajiv and Isaac covered a lot of topics including the political makeup of Tangle’s audience, and how our news sources really dictate our outlook and discourse. It’s a down the middle approach that might give you some pause. So wherever you’re coming from, we hope you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about how and where we get our news for a very important year to come...
As 2023 comes to a close, we compiled some of the year’s learnings from leaders. So sit back with your beverage of choice and enjoy. And give us a gift - leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — hearing from YOU, our fellow Alums makes a big difference for our team as we reflect on the year. THANK YOU for the continued support of our podcast and our amazing guests.
Heard something you missed? Be sure to go back and check out each guest’s full episode. Got a suggestion for a future episode? Send a note to pgalums@gmail.com — we’d love to hear from you! Thanks for your continued support of our Learnings from Leaders podcast!
“People are interconnected in India, there's an interdependence that doesn't exist here — a connectedness, a togetherness.”
To continue our series on travel - we’re going to (talk about) India, with co-hosts Sharad Lal and Rajiv Satyal, who also happen to be of Indian origin. At the turn of the century, many said India had gone through more change in 20 years than the West had gone through in a century. And now we’re another 20 years later. India is an emergent superpower on the world stage - some would argue a swing vote on the geopolitical map — with all the same sort of wonder people have romanticized over decades, but now also with all the social and political growing pains one would expect from such a...colorful country.
David Taylor & A.G. Lafley are two of P&G's Emeritus CEOs, who joined the recent recent P&G Alumni Global Conference in Washington DC for a candid conversation going beyond their personal stories - or even the stories of the day - to discuss their approaches to some of the broad challenges we have to face together, to meet the moment...
“There's a better way to live and work — Dan showed you can be effective and have a good time doing it.” “For someone to be in a rock band and talk like a rock star, and still have the command and respect of your business partners — it showed that you can get beyond stereotypes and be successful.”
Dan Hamilton was a longtime friend and mentor to many - an experienced marketing, media, and creative leader - who passed away suddenly last December of 2022. This is the second of two conversations with friends and colleagues who knew Dan - this one with two fellow P&G Digital Alums: Bob Arnold, now a Media Innovation leader at Google, and Aaron Fetters, now CEO of Transparent Partners.
https://adage.com/article/opinion/ocean-spray-remembers-dan-hamilton/2459791
Dan Hamilton was a dreamer, a mentor, and someone who had a passion for coloring outside the lines and breaking all the rules, and bringing us along for the ride. Dan was a bandmate, a father, and a friend. He was born in Seattle in 1969 to Valerie and Vernon “Bud” Hamilton. Bud is a fellow P&G Alum who retired after 37 years as a VP in Sales, Marketing, and Governance, and one of the reasons Dan came to P&G. Dan grew up in Cincinnati later studied journalism and jazz guitar at the University of Cincinnati and CCM, he co-founded the band Spookfloaters, which he toured with, then went back get his Masters of Computer Science from Miami of Ohio, after which he joined P&G as one of the earliest digital marketing managers, starting in the beauty business on Olay. Dan quickly changed the game in digital, rising to become media leader of Olay, arguably one of P&G’s most innovative brands in marketing and media during Dan’s tenure. Over nearly 15 years Dan worked across Olay digital, Olay media, Olay design, P&G’s corporate brand, and personal care. Dan spent another seven years in Colorado as a marketing, media and creative leader @ WhiteWave Foods, as it later merged with Danone. In 2021 he joined Ocean Spray as the company’s Head of Marketing Center of Excellence.
Across his entire career, Dan was a friend and mentor to the many who had the privilege of working with him. He was always one of the Alums we wanted to reconnect with on this Learnings from Leaders podcast, but we regret missing our chance. So to capture some of the “Learnings from Dan” - we wanted to share a few stories from those that knew him well. Got a Dan story? Please send an email or voice memo to pgalumpod@gmail.com - we’d love to hear it, and share with the many friends and family who survive him. We know you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about our good friend Dan.
“Don’t give up on the things that you believe are worth fighting for - Dan had this endless optimism - if you fought hard enough that you could make anything work.”
Dan Hamilton was a longtime friend and mentor to many - an experienced marketing, media, and creative leader - who passed away suddenly last December of 2022. This is the first of two conversations with friends and colleagues who knew Dan over the years - this one with Monisha Dabek, Chief Commercial Officer of Ocean Spray Cranberries, who was one of Dan’s friends and partners in his most recent professional adventures at Ocean Spray and Whitewave.
https://adage.com/article/opinion/ocean-spray-remembers-dan-hamilton/2459791
Dan Hamilton was a dreamer, a mentor, and someone who had a passion for coloring outside the lines and breaking all the rules, and bringing us along for the ride. Dan was a bandmate, a father, and a friend. He was born in Seattle in 1969 to Valerie and Vernon “Bud” Hamilton. Bud is a fellow P&G Alum who retired after 37 years as a VP in Sales, Marketing, and Governance, and one of the reasons Dan came to P&G. Dan grew up in Cincinnati later studied journalism and jazz guitar at the University of Cincinnati and CCM, he co-founded the band Spookfloaters, which he toured with, then went back get his Masters of Computer Science from Miami of Ohio, after which he joined P&G as one of the earliest digital marketing managers, starting in the beauty business on Olay. Dan quickly changed the game in digital, rising to become media leader of Olay, arguably one of P&G’s most innovative brands in marketing and media during Dan’s tenure. Over nearly 15 years Dan worked across Olay digital, Olay media, Olay design, P&G’s corporate brand, and personal care. Dan spent another seven years in Colorado as a marketing, media and creative leader @ WhiteWave Foods, as it later merged with Danone. In 2021 he joined Ocean Spray as the company’s Head of Marketing Center of Excellence.
Across his entire career, Dan was a friend and mentor to the many who had the privilege of working with him. He was always one of the Alums we wanted to reconnect with on this Learnings from Leaders podcast, but we regret missing our chance. So to capture some of the “Learnings from Dan” - we wanted to share a few stories from those that knew him well. Got a Dan story? Please send an email or voice memo to pgalumpod@gmail.com - we’d love to hear it, and share with the many friends and family who survive him. We know you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about our good friend Dan.
“Things that are outside your control, be transparent — because oftentimes those collisions of change can create innovation.”
Carol Fusek is a Neuroleadership Institute brain-based coach who works with individuals, organizations and families to help them thrive. Currently based in Singapore, Carol was P&G’s Asia’s Associate Director of Customer Service & Logistics, where during her 26-year career with P&G she held various leadership roles. As a coach, Carol’s coaching is influenced by brain science and how it can shape leaders and teams. In this candid conversation, we discuss how brain based coaching can bring about lasting change. Carol shares about the SCARF model — which involves five domains of human social experience: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness — a powerful neuroscience based model for coaching. We explore hot topics - inclusion, psychological safety, trust. We talk about how leaders and organizations can prepare for change and a lot more.
This is a continuation of our series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep on relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free first session @ coaching.pgalums.com.
Thanksgiving’s always been special because it combines two universally loved things, being around friends and family, and food — some of the very topics we talk about on another podcast (of Raman's): MODERN MINORITIES, where we share minority voices for all our majority ears. So we decided to revisit of our favorite questions with some of our favorite FrieMMds of the Pod over the years:
Raman Sehgal (UK edition), Jieun Kirtley, Justin Richmond, Tyanne Benallie, Andres Barragan, Paris Hatcher, Steven Wakabayashi, Mira Jacob, Jonathan Hill, Gina Brillon, Ian Haddock, Dani Goulet, Gene Luen Yang, Sara Alfageeh, Bhavik Kumar, Aaliyah Habeeb, Tolentino, Seif Hamid, Nidhi Chanani, Victor Luckerson, Chirstina Lee, Sung Kang, and Mandi Sehgal
So enjoy some delicious - and not so delicious recos as you make your final run to pick up some last minute cranberry sauce (or chutney!). We hope you’re making the time to be with folks you care about, and find a moment to enjoy some great food with them. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours...
“Don’t look for conflicts — look for issues. Because every issue or problem is an opportunity to learn and grow.”
Kshitij Mulay is currently Sephora’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Asia - enabling the prestige beauty retailer win in digital, eCommerce and data in the omni channel world. Kshitij is a commercial tech leader with over 20 years experience across APAC in local, regional & global capacity. Prior to joining Sephora, Kshitij was the Global CIO for SK-II and has also served as P&G India CIO and Shared Services Leader. At P&G, Kshitij was a master trainer for the “Corporate Athlete” and “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” training programs in the company. An engineer & MBA by qualification, Kshitij is married with 1 daughter residing in Singapore. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the need for passion, honesty and a growth mindset - all in service of growing as a leader and finding purpose at work.
“Just realize every decision you make is a prediction and act like it - figure out what it is implicitly predicting and make that explicit.”
Annie Duke is an author and a consultant in the decision making space, as well as a former professional poker player. Annie is the only woman to have won the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions and the NBC National Poker Heads Up Championship. Prior to becoming a professional poker player, Annie was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship to study cognitive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Annie is the co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve lives by empowering students through decision skills education. My discussion with Annie focuses on her recent book, “How to Decide, Simple Tools for Making Better Choices.“
But Annie is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation and AI Integration Strategy. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“It's not about how you get results from yourself but learning how you're going to get results through other people and how you bring other people along.”
Kenneth Chan is a seasoned CEO and Organization Leader with over 30 years experience in Fortune 500 companies such as P&G, McDonald’s, PepsiCo, and Singapore Airlines. Kenneth was McDonald’s Chief Executive Officer for China and Division President for the Greater China region between 2009 to 2015. Kenneth led an organization of 150,000 employees and oversaw the fastest period of expansion at that time — opening over 1,000 restaurants in the span of 5 years. Kenneth was awarded the prestigious "Overseas CEO Award" at the Singapore Business Awards (2014), as well as the "Leading CEO Award" by the Singapore Human Resources Institute (2007). Kenneth He now serves as a strategic advisor and executive mentor. You’ll enjoy this deep, humble conversation on creating one’s authentic leadership style, how Asians can become strong leaders, and importance of values during adversity.
“If somebody tells you no, from their perspective, they see ‘N-O’ — but from my side, I see ‘O-N’ — meaning it just turns me ON to try to say, ‘How can I prove somebody wrong?’ ”
Sophia Toh is a Professional Certified Coach with 20 years of experience in corporate finance, accounting, strategy, organizational, and entrepreneurial leadership. Sophia has worked for multi-billion brands leading organization development and transformation. Sophia served CFO of P&G’s subsidiary, Walker & Company Brands, and VP of Financial Transformation at Kraft Heinz. As a Coach, Sophia is credentialed by the International Coaching Federation, a certified coach by the Gallup Clifton’s Strengths organization, Coach Diversity Institute, and Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder-Centered Coaching Center. She is also a certified trainer in the Four Stages of Psychological Safety™. Sophia is passionate about giving back to the community - volunteering in nonprofit organizations and alumni networks, mentoring and providing coaching pro-bono for students and early career professionals, leveraging her expertise and experience to pay forward and impact the world positively. Her company, Illuminate U Coaching was featured by ManageHR Magazine in 2022 as one of the top 10 emerging leadership development companies in the US.After hundreds of coaching sessions and clients, Sophia had the honor of witnessing incredible success stories – helping individuals find their voice, step into their confidence, and taking giant leaps toward their dream roles.
This is a continuation of our series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep on relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free first session @ coaching.pgalums.com.
“I was non-traditional, with so many stereotypes — this gives me every right to win, because they will always underestimate the power that you have when you're in a space where they don't see you belonging.
Derrick Booker is currently the SVP and Head of brand for Thayers Natural Remedies at L’Oreal, but has had a varied path before joining a beauty-focused company. Armed with a degree in microbiology from Miami University, Derrick started his career with medical and consumer brand marketing roles in Oral Care at P&G. He is an accomplished research scientist having led the clinical claims support strategy as a Clinical Trial Manager for P&G’s North American Oral Care R&D organization. Derrick then went on to join Pfizer, where he worked on prescription to over-the-counter switching, Advil and Pediatric brands. In 2020, Derrick was recognized among the top 100 under 50 emerging and executive leaders, by Diversity MBA Chicago and continues to inspire leaders with his authentic leadership and focus on building relationships and leaning into our truths. You’ll enjoy this authentic, candid conversation about reframing feelings of not belonging and being underestimated to surprise others with personal excellence.
“We're biologically hardwired to get defensive when we receive feedback - step beyond that defense and step forward with openness and receptivity.”
Rachel Pacheco, PhD is an award-winning author and Management professor at Georgetown University. A former Chief People Officer, Rachel serves on the board of directors and board of advisors for numerous start-ups and high growth organizations. Her first book, Bringing Up the Boss: Practical Lessons for New Managers, focuses on translating academic research and data into immediately useable tools for practitioners. Rachel’s work explores how managers bring meaning, authenticity, and their own self-discovery into the workplace. Prior to her role at Georgetown, Rachel was on the faculty of the Wharton School, and was a founding faculty member of the Entrepreneurship Education Program at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her BS in Mathematics from Georgetown University and her MBA, MPhil and PhD in Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and son.
But Rachel is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation and AI Integration Strategy. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“Sometimes there is a thin line between success and failure - so I'd rather seek help and succeed. Reach out to the right people and ask for help. People open doors because that's how they have succeeded. "
Sundar Raman is the CEO of P&G Fabric & Home Care - the company’s largest business sector representing a third of the company’s sales and net earnings. Sundar began his P&G career as a market analyst in India in 1998 and soon moved to the United States, where he worked in a variety of roles, from business intelligence to marketing, in P&G Beauty. In 2008, he joined NA Fabric Care to lead innovation and marketing, and in 2019 was appointed President Fabric Care North America and P&G Professional, expanding his responsibilities to Global Home Care in 2020. Along the way, Sundar has consistently demonstrated a track record of results and, importantly, a commitment to empowering people. Sundar is aware of his impact on the organization and those around them and strives to be available when someone needs him, especially a mentee seeking help, challenges his own implicit biases and works with his team to foster an inclusive environment. Sundar is a visionary leader with broad expertise and a passion for innovation and our conversation today reflects his passion for diversity, mentorship and finding a path that works for the individual. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the importance of being present to those in need, and always finding a better, third way.
“Don't wait for that bravery moment, that hero moment until you call yourself courageous. You are here for a reason, and that's usually reaching out to the world, and not getting smaller.”
Florence Marie Guesnet is an experienced, empathic trainer and coach where she currently focuses on topics such as “courage in life, courage in leadership,” self-leadership, and strategy consulting. Florence has been trained as a coach since 2015 and has been a “Professional Certified Coach” with the largest International Coaching Association ICF since 2020. She was a member of the Program Commission 2015 of the annual ESOMAR- Congress and “Marketer of the Year” 2014 Cannes Lions. Florence studied economics in Wuppertal with a focus on “work and personnel” after qualifying as a garment seamstress. And has extensive executive experience at companies like Estée Lauder, Melitta, Heineken, and Procter & Gamble. Florence speaks German, English, and French, enjoys playing golf, going running and doing yoga, and currently lives in Germany with her husband.
This is a continuation of our series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep on relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their free first coaching session @ coaching.pgalums.com.
You’ll enjoy this candid coaching conversation on having courage in life and in leadership.
“Inclusion starts at our kitchen tables. If you aren't building cross-cultural relationships - actively learning about a lived experience not your own - how do you expect to show up differently as an inclusive leader?”
Mita Mallick is a corporate change-maker, and the author of a new book — Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths To Transform Your Workplace. Mita’s an outspoken share of innovative and thought-provoking ideas in the area of inclusion and equity — and has a track record of transforming businesses. Mita's currently Carta’s head of Inclusion, equity and Impact, and the co-host of Brown Table Talk, a top LinkedIn podcast where she helps break down the challenges women of color face in the workplace. Mita’s extensive career - as a fierce advocate of including and representing Black and Brown communities - has crossed orgs like Carta, Unilever, Pfizer, AVON, Johnson & Johnson and more - as she’s a sought after speaker and coach to start-up founders, executives, and public CEOs. Mita’s a LinkedIn Top Voice, a contributor for Harvard Business Review, Adweek, Entrepreneur and Fast Company, and has been featured in the The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, Forbes, Axios, Essence, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Business Insider.
This is a conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about Mita’s experiences and learnings from her new - and confront our own biases and myths. You can order Mita’s book here:
Reimagine Inclusion: Debunking 13 Myths To Transform Your Workplace
https://www.amazon.com/Reimagine-Inclusion-Debunking-Transform-Workplace/dp/1394177097
“There is no formula. There is no direct path. Everybody has to pivot at times in their life. Don't always be looking for the next thing because you won’t be happy in the moment.”
Ana Malmqvist, is the CMO of Front Burner Brands, which owns Melting Pot, the world’s premier fondue restaurant. Ana’s love for beauty products took her to L’oreal right out of business school where she advanced throughout various roles before an inflection point and deciding to move to P&G Beauty as an experienced hire. At P&G Ana worked in Brand Management on Max Factor Cosmetics across North America and Western Europe, as well as on the Prestige Fine Fragrances business on brands like Hugo Boss, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Helmut Lang, and Hervé Leger Parfum. When she left P&G to be closer to family, she entered the hospitality industry - delivering unforgettable experiences via marketing as the VP of Product Marketing at Bloomin’ Brands. Ana has a love for translating marketing to the consumer, in large part due to her language skills developed as a child and learning the art of speaking others’ languages. Ana continues to use her language skills to bring together multi-functional groups she works with and in her mentoring of others. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the inflection points that change life’s path, and how to find balance and maintain curiosity along the way.
“We are most successful from the core of who we are - don't change into somebody else. But at the same time, what is it about your leadership style that is getting in the way?”
Carol Yang is a certified Global Executive Coach (ICF PCC) with 23 years of global leadership experience across Fortune 500 companies - like P&G and the Timberland Company, where she was VP of Global marketing. As an Executive Coach, Carol works with senior leaders around the world, with an emphasis on empowering female leaders to move up and thrive in bigger, more complex roles. Carol’s clients include senior leaders at Goldman Sachs, Merck, P&G, Agile Technology and others.
Going beyond her own career journey, Carol shares relevant advice on the mindset shift needed to ascend into senior executive roles. This is the first in a series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep on relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their free first coaching session @ coaching.pgalums.com
You’ll enjoy this candid coaching conversation with Carol on not just the big mindset mindset needed for executive growth, but also how to get clear on what we want, taking ownership of your career, building self awareness, and going beyond the buzzwords of building an authentic personal brand.
“Make the time to scratch beneath the surface in each state. Spending time with the people - in the cities, in the towns, at the restaurants - you're always going to uncover something.”
Part TWO of our USA Travel series - across all 50 states of the USA with Raman and podcast co-founder Drew Tarvin - author of “The United States of Laughter” - as they share stories and learnings from their travels across America - from Nebraska to Wyoming. See last week’s episode for the first part, from Alabama to Montana.
Got some travel learnings from anywhere in the world? Send a voice memo to pgalumpod@gmail.com, and maybe we'll feature your story on a future episode!
And don’t forget to register for the P&G Alumni Global Conference in Washington DC - November 2-5, 2023. You'll get to hear from many former P&G CEOs, C-Suite alumni leaders, and emerging trendsetters, all while networking with fellow P&G Alums. Learn more and register at pgalums.com
“Make the time to scratch beneath the surface in each state. Spending time with the people - in the cities, in the towns, at the restaurants - you're always going to uncover something.”
Part TWO of our USA Travel series - across all 50 states of the USA with Raman and podcast co-founder Drew Tarvin - author of “The United States of Laughter” - as they share stories and learnings from their travels across America - from Nebraska to Wyoming. See last week’s episode for the first part, from Alabama to Montana.
Got some travel learnings from anywhere in the world? Send a voice memo to pgalumpod@gmail.com, and maybe we'll feature your story on a future episode!
And don’t forget to register for the P&G Alumni Global Conference in Washington DC - November 2-5, 2023. You'll get to hear from many former P&G CEOs, C-Suite alumni leaders, and emerging trendsetters, all while networking with fellow P&G Alums. Learn more and register at pgalums.com
“It's so easy to go onto the next thing - but take that moment to stop and celebrate small and big wins.”
We’re returning to one of our favorite topics - TRAVEL - turning our focus to the strange and foreign land known as the United States of America. Raman is joined by podcast co-founder Drew Tarvin - author of “The United States of Laughter” - as they share stories and learnings from their travels to all 50 American states, in the first of a two-part series, covering from Alabama to Montana.
Got some travel learnings from anywhere in the world? Send a voice memo to pgalumpod@gmail.com, and maybe we'll feature your story on a future episode!
And don’t forget to register for the P&G Alumni Global Conference in Washington DC - November 2-5, 2023. You'll get to hear from many former P&G CEOs, C-Suite alumni leaders, and emerging trendsetters, all while networking with fellow P&G Alums. Learn more and register at pgalums.com
“Simplifying the complex is hard - really distilling the essentials, making your thoughts and rationale as strong as possible. Make sure that it says something about you.”
Jawad Bisbis is the Global VP of Marketing at Ball Corporation where he leads marketing and partnerships for Ball’s aluminum cup business. Jawad was previously 7-Eleven’s VP Proprietary Beverages, where he oversaw the coffee, fountain and frozen business across 10,000 stores nationwide. Before joining 7-Eleven, Jawad was a VP of Marketing at Focus Brands, a foodservice chain where he provided marketing leadership across more than 50 international markets and 2000 stores. Jawad also worked for Luxottica as Group marketing director for the Middle-East & Africa business, and fifteen years with The Coca-Cola Company in diverse markets and roles. Jawad started his marketing career with Procter & Gamble where he held various brand management positions. He holds a Master’s Degree from Kedge Business School in France and is fluent in Arabic and French. Jawad is married with two children, and when he’s not working, he enjoys watching soccer, playing tennis, and mentoring college and early career youths in underserved communities. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about cultivating a different point of view and pushing yourself to being a lifelong learner.
- “The mindset of an entrepreneur is helpful to embrace no matter what your current position. Control the W’s of life - who you spend time with, what you do, why you are doing them.”
Tim Ferriss is an American entrepreneur, author, and podcaster - best known for his book: the Four Hour Work Week, and his podcast: the Tim Ferriss Show. Tim has been listed as one of fast company's most innovative business people. Tim is an early stage technology investor and advisor, and is known in media as “the Oprah of Audio” due to the influence of his business and interview podcast being the first to exceed 200 million downloads. Tim is the author of four Number One New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including the Four Hour Work Week. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about balancing work and life, health and wellness, and many other topics.
But Tim is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“There's nothing that opens up your mind, even your heart, to new and unknown things than travel. Get outside your comfort zone.”
S. Qaisar Shareef is P&G’s former head of Pakistan and Ukraine, author of “When Tribesmen Came Calling,” and a longtime friend of the pod. But more importantly, he’s also a fellow lover of travel. Specifically in how travel allows each of us to experience new and different cultures. Qaisar is based in Washington DC, and a frequent columnist in News International Pakistan, and his recent article about his travels in Egypt speak to the importance of experiencing new and different cultures. Whether hitchhiking from Germany to Belgium, traveling the silk road thru Uzbekistan, wandering Afghanistan, or roaming ruins in Syria and Spain, Qaisar shares lessons and learnings from a world well traveled. Got learnings to share about your own travels? Let us know your favorites pgalumpod@gmail.com - with a voice memo or written story - and maybe we’ll feature your travel learnings on a future podcast!
“There are some moments in sales where it does not go at all like you planned, and you just feel lost. And I do think humor is a way to deal with failure.”
Greg Warren is a nationally known stand-up comic whose new comedy special “The Salesman” recently launched, so we thought we’d talk with Greg about his creative process and learnings we can find from the world of stand-up comedy. Greg has been featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, BET and CMT. He is a fan favorite on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show and can be heard daily on Sirius/XM. Prior to becoming a full-time comedian, Greg spent 10 years at P&G as an account executive for brands like Pringles and Folgers. He’s currently based in St Louis, MO.
Are you a P&G Alumni leader who’s an industry expert on a topic where our audience can get lots of learnings? Shoot us a note - pgalumpod@gmail.com - and maybe we'll feature you on a future P&G Alumni Podcast!
“If I'm in a tough environment, should I leave? And I always say, no, not immediately. Try to see if you can bring in your strengths and make it work."
Dalia Feldheim is an author, organizational psychologist, and works with leading companies to promote heart-felt leadership - so we wanted to feature a conversation about her 2020 TEDx talk “Dare to Lead Like a Girl.” Before founding her Flow Leadership Consultancy, Dalia worked as the CMO and VP of marketing APAC for Electrolux, and prior to that, spent nearly 17 years at Procter & Gamble, working her way up from ABM to Marketing Director for FemCare in Asia. During her time, she helped to work on some iconic ad campaigns such as ‘Tampax Mother Nature’ and ’Always #like a girl’ which was ranked as Forbes most influential campaign of the decade. Dalia holds an Executive Masters degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change from IN-SE-AD business school along with a Happiness Facilitator diploma from the ‘Happiness Studies Academy’ in partnership with Miami university.
TED talks are "Ideas Worth Spreading" - short talks and presentations that have lit up the internet since 2006. And since # of P&G Alums have shared TEDx talks at official events with their communities - we thought these ideas were worth spreading on our podcast. Are you a P&G Alumni with a TEDx talk? Shoot us a note - pgalumpod@gmail.com - and maybe we'll feature your TEDx talk on a future P&G Alumni Podcast!
“On a daily basis, what kind of score would I give myself? And then what could be one thing that I could do to maybe push that up a little bit.”
"There's this bittersweet tradition that has existed across time and our world - it's the pathway to creativity and connection and transcendence.”
Susan Cain is the author of the bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking, which has been translated into 40 languages, is in its seventh year on the New York Times best seller list, and was named the #1 best book of the year by Fast Company magazine, which also named Cain one of its Most Creative People in Business. Susan’s latest book, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, is also a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and explores the power of the bittersweet personality, revealing a misunderstood side of mental health and creativity, while offering a roadmap to facing grief in order to live life to the fullest.
But Susan is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“There need to be silences - you need to give people room to run. Let people talk more. I already know what I know now. I wanna know what you know.”
Recently P&G Alumni Co-host Rajiv Satyal sat down with Crossroads pastor and podcast host Bryan Tome on his show “The Aggressive Life.” What started as an exploration of Rajiv’s comedy career and approach turned into an open and honest conversation among two very different perspectives on politics, faith, and culture. With the Fourth of July right around the corner for Americans, we celebrate our independence and freedom, but also take an honest reflection on who we are - and want to be - as a nation, and as a people. With today’s level of division and discord , the importance of talking - and listening to others who might not look and think like us. There is a better way from simply passively standing by and retreating to our echo chambers. It's about seeking to understand, which was one of the values many of us were taught during our time at P&G. We hope you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about comedy - and curiosity.
“Sometimes we fall into the trap of creating one size fits all processes. What's even more important is humanizing experiences with empathy and care.”
Mohit Das is a Senior Solution Architect for Retail and CPG customers at Microsoft. Prior to his current role, Mohit built a 26 year career in Consumer Products & Retail, Health Care and Strategy consulting. Most recently Mohit was with the Kellogg Company as the Vice President for the Global Commercial Analytics Centre of excellence, driving data and analytics transformation across the entire commercial value chain. Before Kellogg’s, Mohit worked at McKinsey, Abbott Nutrition, and Procter & Gamble, where he started his career and later served in several Strategy, Insight & Analytic roles within categories like Fabric & Home care, Hair & Beauty Care and Pet Foods in Asia and the US. Mohit earned a bachelor’s of engineering in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management. On the personal front Mohit has lived with his family in Singapore, Bangkok, Mumbai, Cincinnati and Chicago, where he currently resides. He enjoys outdoor activities and is regular at tennis and practicing yoga. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the importance of finding balance in life.
“You have to be able to laugh. It makes difficult things more achievable. It builds a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. It lifts up the mood, and puts everything in perspective.”
Fatima (Fama) D. Francisco is P&G’s CEO of Global Baby, Feminine and Family Care — the company’s second largest sector with $20 billion in sales from brands like Pampers, Always, Bounty and Charmin. Throughout her career, Fama has been a true trailblazer, including: being the first female sales manager hired in P&G Philippines in 1989, among the youngest women promoted to President, and the first Asian female Sector CEO in P&G’s 186-year history. Fama is a respected leader with a track record of turning around businesses, including during her time North America Baby Care, while at the helm of Global Feminine Care, and as the Baby & Feminine Care Sector CEO. An inspiring leader, Fama is a role model known for championing gender and intersectional equality. She is also an advocate for mental health and leads her business with empathy and openness building resilient teams who she empowers to rise up to their full potential. She has four children and currently lives with her family in Cincinnati. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about resiliency, and being a trailblazer in an organization.
“It's less about what you do or where you do it, but more about the people you work with. That's what's going to make a difference - learn from great people and grow.”
Angie Hicks is the Co-founder of Angie’s List & Chief Customer Officer at Angie Home Services. Angie Co-founded Angie's List in 1995 and served as CMO and on the company’s Board of Directors. In 2007 she led the merger with IAC Home Advisors to form Angie Home Services. Angie received her MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from DePaul University, which has honored her with a Distinguished Alumni Award for Management and Entrepreneurship, and with the Robert C McDermott Medal for Excellence and Entrepreneurship. Angie’s also the recipient of numerous awards including the Indiana Commission for Women Torchbearer Award for Entrepreneurial Accomplishments, the TechPoint Trailblazer Award, Harvard Business School's Alumni Achievement Award, and Woman Tech founder of the Year. In this P&G Alumni Enrichment webinar, you’ll enjoy hearing about Angie’s personal story of entrepreneurship, and navigating through work and life’s many changes.
“Really focus on people. If you have 500 people working for you, that does not mean that they're working for you, but you are working for 500 people.”
Jaideep Bansal is the Co-Founder and CEO of Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) Impact Ventures, and one of the P&G Alumni Leaders Under 40. Jaideep worked with P&G in Product Supply for almost 6 years before becoming a social entrepreneur. With GHE, Jaideep is bringing sustainable development to the remotest communities in India. GHE brings solar energy and sustainable development to half a million people across five remote regions in India. Jaideep and his team are the winners of the 2020 UN Climate Action Award. GHE’s work has been documented by National Geographic, BBC and NDTV, and awarded by the WTTC and the World Tourism Awards. Jaideep has been featured repeatedly at Davos among the top leaders inspiring change in the world. He is also an Asia Foundation Fellow and has been recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about social entrepreneurship, how development trumps religion, and living a purpose driven life.
“ 'Yes, and...' is a kind of courage. Only failure allows us to begin again more intelligently.”
Emily Chang is a seasoned marketer with 20+ years of experience across the US and China. She’s currently the CEO of Wunderman Thompson West, and was previously the CEO of McCann Worldgroup China. Emily served as Starbucks SVP of Marketing, and earlier as CMO of Starbucks China. She was the Chief Commercial Officer at Intercontinental Hotels Group, and Apple’s head of Asia retail marketing. Emily got her start at P&G, spending 11 years working across multiple business units. Emily’s spoken at conferences around the world - including Fortune Most Powerful Women’s Summit, C2 in Montréal, and has delivered three TEDx talks. Emily’s also the author of the book “The Spare Room: Define Your Social Legacy to Live a More Intentional Life and Lead with Authentic Purpose.” Emily lives with her husband and daughter, and over the years, has shared her spare room with sixteen young people, five dogs, one turtle, one guinea pig, and 129 snails. You can learn more about Emily’s work at social-legacy.com. In our candid conversation, Emily shares how her immigrant upbringing, curiosity and willingness to take risks has led her professional career, and personal purpose.
This episode originally aired in March 2021
Shankar Vishwanathan was P&G’s SVP e-Business leader for Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa — a 32 veteran of the company starting in India as Account Manager, and a career ranging brands/categories across India, USA, Russia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines. For Shankar, leadership starts with people — he believes in the power of relationships to unleash the best in others. Shankar is also a practitioner of yoga and mindfulness and is a trainer instructor in both. A proud husband and father, Shankar is very involved in philanthropy, having led the Force for Good program in Singapore, started a school for orphans in Vietnam and helped educate children through direct support and coaching. You’ll enjoy this candid, vulnerable conversation from an accomplished international leader
“It made me think about how our sense of identity really gets mixed up in names that other people give to us.”
In real life, Bich Minh Nguyen now goes by the name Beth Nguyen - Beth is an award-winning writer and professor. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, we wanted to share a conversation from the other podcast Modern Minorities - which features minority voices for all of our majority ears. Born in Saigon, Beth is the author of books like Stealing Buddha's Dinner, Short Girls, Pioneer Girl, and Owner of a Lonely Heart - her memoir in essays about post refugee life coming out later this year. Beth 2021 New Yorker article - “America Ruined My Name For Me” unpacks a necessary conversation about identity, adaption and assimilation - especially for those whose name is not hard to pronounce or understand. A refugee and a mother, Beth’s moving work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, and Literary Hub. Beth's awards and honors include an American Book Award, a PEN/Jerard Award from the PEN American Center, a Bread Loaf fellowship, and best book of the year honors from the Chicago Tribune and Library Journal. Beth has taught at Purdue University and the University of San Francisco - she is and is currently a professor of creative writing at the University of Wisconsin. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about growing between the cultures of two worlds
“When you unlock an insight with curiosity, the power to drive limitless growth is huge. We as leaders can make a big difference with the questions we ask.”
Shailesh Jejurikar is P&G’s Chief Operating Officer, where he has profit/loss responsibility for P&G’s Enterprise Markets - Latin America, India, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe - and leads Information Technology, Global Business Services, Sales, Market Operations, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Distribution and New Business for the company. Previously, Shailesh was the Chief Executive Officer of P&G’S largest business sector, Fabric & Home Care, which includes many of P&G’s most-iconic brands: Tide, Ariel, Downy, Gain, Febreze, Swiffer—and represents about one-third of total company sales and net earnings. From 2016 to 2021, Shailesh served as executive sponsor for global sustainability, enabling P&G’s “force for growth and a force for good” vision and ensuring the company’s sustainability goals are fully integrated into the day-to-day business to enable—and to inspire—positive impact on the environment and society while creating value for the company, consumers and shareholders. Shailesh’s extensive P&G career has spanned 30+ years - across multiple businesses (Health & Beauty Care, Home Care, Fabric Care and P&G Professional) in both developed and developing regions - including North America, Europe, Asia and Africa) - getting his start in his home country in India. Shailesh is known for his unique ability to identify growth possibilities, having consistently delivered strong business results in every market and on every business. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on curiosity, seeing around corners, and learning to learn.
“AI gets back to how do I make decisions easier? Giving the right data to the right people at the right time — not perfect by any means, but it’s a powerful notion.”
Franz Dill is a retired P&G Technologist and independent consultant in AI and analytics. We wanted to tap into Franz’s experience and expertise in technology to talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) - a topic that issuddenly, everything, everywhere, all at once. Franz worked at P&G for 30+ years, where where he served as a Chief Scientist for analytics and as an emergent technologist. He founded P&G groundbreaking contextual innovation centers, established the company's Web 2.0 capabilities, wrote one of the most read blogs in the organization and was also a member of the Cognitive Alliance Analysis Council. Since retiring in 2008, Franz has remained an active consultant in Business Intelligence and Marketing, Retail Innovation, AI, and Business Process Improvement. Franz has also consulted with groups like GE Aviation and as an adjunct professor at Columbia University. Franz has a degree in astrophysics from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master's in Industrial Mathematics from the University of Florida. With the rapid advancements in AI changing every day, things discussed in this March 2023 conversation may already have moved - but there’s a lot of fundamentals in this candid conversation that make sense.
“Integrity can be a competitive advantage.”
Ed Artzt served as P&G’s CEO & Chairman from 1990 to 1995 - during which sales grew to $33 billion, and the company grew well above historic averages. Joining in 1953, Ed led growth on brands like Comet, Zest, Charmin, Bounty, and Folgers. He has also served on the boards of American Express, Delta Airlines, GTE and Teradyne. He was active in foreign affairs and an influential advocate of world trade, and on President Clinton’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations.
Replaying our conversation with Ed fro 2020 - where Ed shared his perspectives on the importance of storytelling, and the competitive advantage of integrity.
"A brand grows in the centuries balancing between heritage and modernity - to stay modern, to stay relevant. Leadership also requires this balance.”
Daniela Riccardi is a proven CEO - with extensive experience operating businesses and brands in the international consumer and retail industry. She's currently the CEO of Moleskine, and has also led as CEO at iconic luxury and fashion brands like Baccarat and Diesel. Daniela got her career start over 25 years at Procter & Gamble, where she held numerous senior roles including Vice President in Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. From 2001 to 2004, she worked as Vice President and General Manager for Eastern Europe and Russia, based in Moscow. From 2005 to 2010, she was President of Procter & Gamble Greater China.
Daniela has also served as a member of the board of WPP, the largest agency holding company, the French Luxury goods company and of Comite Colbert, an association of French Luxury Brands and cultural institutions. Daniela Riccardi graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Rome - La Sapienza (Italy) and holds a degree in Political Science and International Studies. Prior to that, she completed professional studies in classic and modern dance at the National Dance Academy in Rome. She speaks fluent French, English, Spanish and Italian. You’ll enjoy this candid talk on leadership, heritage & modernity from the 2019 P&G Alumni Global Conference in Madrid.
“When people learn and feel valued, they want to make a difference and help each other. And when that comes alive, amazing things happen.”
Jon Moeller is P&G’s current CEO & Chairman. Jon has been an integral part of P&G's leadership team for over two decades, developing strategies that P&G people are executing with excellence to drive the company’s growth today. Prior to becoming CEO, Jon served as P&G’s Chief Operating Officer for six years, and also held the role of P&G’s Chief Financial Officer for more than twelve years Since joining P&G in 1988 as a cost analyst, Jon has held various senior leadership roles in categories, sectors and regions, including assignments in China, as the company’s Treasurer, Global Beauty, Health, Feminine Care Finance Senior VP, and Corporate Forecasting & Analysis. Jon is active in the business, civic and cultural leadership of Greater Cincinnati, serving in an advisory role on local Boards and is a Trustee Emeritus and Former Chairman of the Cincinnati Art Museum Board of Trustees. In this P&G Alumni Enrichment webinar conversation on meeting the moment - Jon talks about Jon talks about the journey that P&G has been on recent years - and looks ahead to the future.
“The most important part of humor in the workplace isn't the humor — it's the outcome, which is it’s fun.
Bracken Darrell is President & CEO of Logitech - where for more than a decade he’s been the driver for Logitech’s continued growth and profitability. Prior to joining Logitech, Bracken spent a decade in executive roles @ Whirlpool, Braun, and General Electric - and also worked in brand management at P&G. Prior to receiving his MBA from Harvard, Bracken worked at Arthur Anderson and PepsiCo.
Bracken’s a longtime “Friend of the Pod” - so we wanted to feature another chat he had with our favorite Humor Engineer and Co-host Andrew Tarvin, in one of Drew’s ”Humor Talks.” You’ll enjoy hearing Bracken share his recognition in the power of humor for creating a fun workplace. Now more than ever, it’s important to be able to be your authentic self at work, and for so many people, that includes humor. But Bracken knows that humor at work doesn’t have to mean telling jokes (he doesn’t think he’s a particularly funny person) - he’s more in the moment, improvising or reacting quickly to what is said - a great mindset to building humor. This conversation may also stories about Jack Welch, and the naming of a cat in this candid conversation that no surprise, is a fun one.
“If you don't have a room of people that can reflect your ideas, then you don't know how they'll play out in the real world — you need a sounding board.”
Misha Euceph is a Pakistani-American writer, podcast host, and producer - Misha also happens to be Founder & CEO of Dustlight Productions, the critically acclaimed podcast studio that has created podcasts with Spotify, Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Rolling Stone, REI, Subaru and many more. She’s also the creator and host of the podcast "Tell Them, I Am" - a series about the small defining moments in our lives— where the voices are all Muslim, but the stories are universal. The NY Times, LA Times, TIME, The Atlantic, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and Huffington Post, have named it among their best podcasts. Misha is also frequently featured in The Wall Street Journal, IGTV, and McSweeney’s. Misha and Dustlight want to make mission-driven podcasts for and with awesome people — but they also train those who want to push the boundaries of audio and tell beautiful stories.
Misha got her Master’s in Journalism at Northwestern University, has taught as an adjunct professor at USC Annenberg and the Transom Radio Workshop. Misha started work in podcasting in 2017, at the dawn of the podcasting era in 2017, and has quickly become an important voice for today's times, speaking on storytelling, identity, and ethical entrepreneurship. In a word, Misha is podcast.
This insightful and entertaining conversation on identity and belonging comes from P&G Alumni Co-host Rajiv Satyal’s talk show "What Do You Bring To The Table" — where Rajiv spotlights prominent South Asian voices. Rajiv has spoken with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Comedian Hasan Minhaj, author Deepak Chopra, influencer Lilly Singh, journalist Manu Raju, TV personality Tan France, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and many more. You can SEE lots more of Rajiv's video conversations at WatchRajiv.com.
- “Be intellectually honest in any decision - otherwise you only see the answer that you want to see.”
Charlotte Otto served as P&G’s Global External Relations Officer for thirteen years, and later as Senior Corporate Advisor to PR industry leader Weber Shandwick for six years. At P&G - Charlotte led the company's external relations activities worldwide - including media relations, employee + shareholder communications, government +community relations, and corporate contributions. Charlotte led a 33 year career at P&G, rising through the ranks of Brand Management and Corporate Comms, and was the trusted counselor to five P&G CEOs. In fact, Charlotte was P&G’s first female corporate officer. Charlotte has received numerous industry accolades - including being named Woman of the Year AND Corporate Woman of the Year by the Cincinnati Enquirer, as well as receiving the Matrix Award for Public Relations, and the prestigious Paladin award. Charlotte’s a proud Purdue Alum, where she received her Bachelors and Masters — and she even studied at the Culinary Institute of America. In a great conversation about intention - and serendipity - you’ll learn about the power of embracing a path never imagined, and removing our own blinders to be truly intellectually honest and objective about whatever situations we may face.
This episode originally aired in April 2021
Bob Gilbreath is a longtime friend of the pod, and a career friend and mentor to many. He is also a 2x-exit entrepreneur and co-founder of Hearty, a curated matchmaking service that combines top software developers with early-stage, venture-backed startups. He recently wrote a post entitled "Thinking of a Career Change? Try the Minimum First" - so we decided to sit down with him to learn more..
You can read more of Bob's writings @ behearty.substack.com
“Outsiders bring fresh thinking to the table. Some of my biggest contributions were because I thought differently and spoke my own mind all the time.”
Peg Wyant is the Founder & CEO of Grandin Properties. But before that, Peg broke the glass ceiling at Procter & Gamble in 1967 - a decade before the phrase entered the lexicon. When the company tried to put her in the typing pool, she responded with “all I can do is think, don’t you have a test for that.” She rose through the ranks, becoming a serial “first female” including first brand manager and first direct report to then CEO John Smale as head of strategic planning and acquisitions. After leaving P&G to become an almost full-time mom, Peg sought other challenges — consulting for Fortune 500 CEOs, and founding a venture capital fund focused on women-led companies. Peg soon launched Grandin Properties, a real estate development and management company focusing on walkable urban neighborhoods in Cincinnati. Beyond her career, Peg helped found the P&G Alumni Network and the Women’s Capital Club. Peg’s new book is called One Red Shoe: The Story of Corporate America’s First Woman. Alongside her husband Jack, Peg has four children and nine grandchildren. You’ll enjoy this insightful conversation about what it takes to persevere when the odds may be against you, to challenge the status quo, outperform, and break through boundaries.
This episode originally aired in November 2021
“The words follow the action. Make sure you're doing the work - making the impact so when you make a statement, it's from the overflow of what you're already doing.”
Susan Baba Oguche is the Cleveland Cavaliers EVP and Chief Communication Officer. For nearly two decades she has had the honor of leading communications and PR fo rsome of the world’s most beloved companies and brands. Previously Susan served as a Communications Director at Nike for three years. She also served in senior comms roles at Sleep Number Corporation, Home Chef, and Abbott. Susan got her start over eleven years at P&G in Communications working on brands like Gillette and Braun, as well as across Skincare and Homecare brands. Susan is driven by a creative curiosity and a journalist’s heart for the story beneath the surface, helping companies identify and connect with their missions, navigate moments of crisis, and inspire the world with their unique story. Hailing from Nigeria as a child, Susan moved across major cities with her university professor parents and got her start at P&G through a youth organization called INRoads.org . Susan now returns to Ohio with her husband and two daughters. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about speaking authentically, where your words have to follow your actions.
"Some have to carry more weight than others - everybody's got to do their part to try to lighten their load."
Linda Clement-Holmes served as P&G’s Chief Diversity Officer AND P&G’s Chief Information Officer - significantly elevating the company’s efforts and standing in the space of Diversity & Inclusion. Starting as a systems analyst in 1983, Linda has led a global career as an “executive of firsts” - the first Black female Senior VP, and later President. Linda’s been named one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders, Black Enterprise magazine’s Top Executives, and Working Mother’s “Working Mothers of the Year,” among many other honors. Linda is an active active Board leader among many business and community organizations, is a graduate of Purdue University, and a proud mother of two accomplished sons
In a candid conversation about authenticity and courage, Linda speaks about her personal - and professional - experiences in race, and comments on the unique moment we face today. Linda shares how she works everyday to lighten the load of others, and gets everyone to do their part.
This episode originally aired in August 2020
"People are willing to risk a lot to show their support for our freedoms."
Ed Rigaud was the Founder & CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which pays tribute to all efforts to abolish human enslavement and secure freedom for all people. At Procter & Gamble, Ed was P&G’s second-ever Black Vice President - spanning a 36-year career at the company in 1965 - during which he was the R&D Technical Brand Manager who helped create Pringles. Ed was later the first Black co-owner + lead investor of the Cincinnati Reds, as well as CEO of EnovaPremier, and CEO of Legacy Acquisition. Ed has served on numerous company boards, has received appointments from the Governor of Ohio, and a sitting US President. He’s a husband, father, grandfather, accomplished artist and guitar player.
In this candid conversation on race, work, and life - Ed shares his thoughts as a black man growing up in Louisiana, rising through the ranks of corporate America, and the current climate. Ed believes that his number one mission is to help those who have been consistently under-represented to achieve higher levels of freedom…especially in the areas of education, economic empowerment, and inclusion.
This episode originally aired in August 2020
“If what is meaningful and important to me takes me off track - then it probably wasn't my track anyway.”
Anne Sempowski Ward is CEO & Board Director at CURiO Brands, a consumer goods company that manufactures and sells personal care and home fragrance products. Prior to CURiO Brands, Anne served as CEO at Thymes from 2012 to 2016 when it merged with DPM Fragrance to become CURiO Brands. Anne was previously CEO and Co-founder of consulting firm The FORWARD Group, focused on growth strategies for mid-sized companies and key executives. Anne was also President and COO of Ebony, Jet & Fashion Fair Cosmetics, Johnson Publishing Company. Ann also served as Assistant Vice President of African-American Marketing for the Coca-Cola Company, and she got her start at P&G, where she rose through the ranks from plant engineer in FemCare to Associate Marketing Director in P&G Beauty integrating Clairol, helping reinvigorate brands like Herbal Essences and scaling multicultural marketing.
An active member of civic and business communities, Anne has been recognized as a YMCA Black Achiever, YWCA Rising Star, Top Black Executive in a Major Corporation as well as a Woman at the Top by EBONY magazine. She was also the youngest and first African-American trustee on the P&G Fund. Anne is a Detroit native and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Duke University. She also earned a Global MBA degree from Duke University's School of Business. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about finding your voice, evolving one’s communication style for effective leadership and taking people on a journey with you.
“Faith should bring us together and not drive us apart. And we will all have differences in what we believe, but it should never be the thing in the workplace that drives us apart.”
Kirk Perry is CEO of IRI Worldwide - and among our first / favorite guests (his threepeat!), returning for another learnings “deep dive” - where we go deeper on a topic folks are passionate about. For Kirk, that topic is his faith. In this authentic, vulnerable and revealing conversation - you’ll hear of the grounded humility of Kirk’s faith, and how it permeates into the leader he chooses to be.
Kirk Perry is CEO of IRI Worldwide, a company that deals in big data analytics and insights that power, action, and growth. Previously Kirk served at Google for eight years as the Global President of brand Solutions. Prior to joining Google Kirk was at P&G for 23 years - in various roles across marketing and general management - including President of Global Family Care, and six years in Asia with assignments in South Korea and Japan. Kirk serves on the boards of The J.M. Smucker Company and Chick-fil-A, having previously served on the board of e.l.f. Cosmetics. Growing up from humble beginnings, Kirk and his family are also very active in giving back. Kirk is a member of the Cincinnati Innovation District Advisory Council, and has been active with many nonprofit organizations, including board affiliations with The Ronald McDonald House, The CityLink Foundation, City Team, The United Way Campaign Cabinet, March of Dimes (national and regional), the University of Cincinnati Foundation, and the University of Cincinnati's Bicentennial Commission. Kirk has also coached youth sports for more than 20 years. He and his wife, Jacki, have been married for more than 30 years and have four beautiful children.
In this ranging conversation between Kirk and co-host Rajiv Satyal, you’ll appreciate the value of how two people from different faiths and backgrounds can find common ground in their similarities and differences.
“It's consumption media, not social media. A lot of people are struggling with this, and a lot more are going to. And I would like to be part of the solution.”
James Veraldi is the CEO & Co-founder of Loop.co — a company focused on Improving the world’s social and mental health. So many of us - including the people we love and work with - have had experience with mental health - and solving these challenges aligns with "touching lives, improving life." As an accomplished entrepreneur, James’ work embodies the very purpose, values, and principle driven approach to work so many of us P&G’ers hold true. Mental and social health is especially a challenge for the younger millennial and Gen Z workforce today - which has a potentially massive impact on performance, productivity, and overall engagement and retention. If you’re a manager of people - an exec or HR stakeholder - you can learn more and sign up for a free 30-day trial for you and some of your colleagues — just visit Loop.co/work.
James began this recent chapter while serving as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at GGV Capital. Prior to that he led product strategy at TikTok, which he joined in early 2017 — prior to its 2018 acquisition and rebranding from ByteDance. Prior to TikTok, James led content strategy at Snapchat, which followed his work as a founding team member at one of Youtube’s earliest partners Fullscreen, which was acquired by Otter Media in 2014. James worked extensively with P&G, Danone and many other top brands when he co-led a small digital content agency called The ZiZo Group — here his team was on the earliest forefront of branded content marketing. James also had early career experiences at Target, Viacom, and Accenture. He spends a lot of his time in the climate & conservation spaces, where he has done a number of angel investments in climate tech — and founded a popular platform and podcast called Animalia where he leads discussions on a number of climate and conservation solutions. James is a dog lover, beekeeper, and even rehabilitates the occasional squirrel or crow. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about a career journey that led to a greater good - building meaningful solutions for the world of social and mental health - and hopefully be inspired on how you can make a difference.
“Functional is not enough — and that's a critical factor in developing innovation. It's really hard to break through if you don't factor the emotional.”
Marlon Hernandez is Molson Coors’ Head of Non Alcoholic Beverages Americas - where he’s leading the creation and expansion of the company’s new non-alcoholic beverages division, a part of the company’s revitalization plan launched in 2019. Marlon has spent 6 years rising through the innovation ranks of Molson Coors, and another 10 years in the spirits industry working in innovation for companies like Corby Spirit & Wine, an Pernod Ricard. Marlon actually got his start in Venezuela at 3M as an Operations Manager, and made the jump to marketing at P&G in Fabric & Home Care Latin America. Marlon received his MBA from the IESA – School of Management in Caracas, Venezuela. And studied Production Engineering @ University Simón Bolívar in Production Engineering, where he also received his master's degree in Statistics. Marlon live ins Chicago with his wife and their twins. You’ll enjoy this conversation on the evolution from brand management to product management — and hearing Marlon’s fundamental believe that the launch of a product is not the finish line, it’s just the beginning.
This is hopefully the first of many conversations with leaders on the topic of Innovation. We wanted to dive deeper into how innovation is evolving in todays’ rapidly changing world — by taking a “look under the hood” of some innovative companies. Joining our conversation is P&G Alumni Wayne Fisher - the President of Rockdale Innovation - a consulting group that helps companies build their internal innovation capability - that has hosted more than a few Innovation events for both P&G + P&G Alumni. Got a reco for an innovation story we should share on the pod (we know there are more than a few of you out there =)? Reach out — pgalumpod@gmail.com
“Imposter syndrome is very real to a lot of people — but it's not representative of what reality really is. There are possibly people who feel exactly the same way you do.”
With a new year comes a desire to get better — so we wanted to share a powerful conversation on tackling imposter syndrome AND the power of coaching. Research shows that 70% of people experience imposter feelings at some point in their career. Recently, this important topic was discussed by several P&G Alumni Coaches: Carol Yang, Heidi Piper, Carol Fusek, and Ilhiana Rojas — all accomplished executives with global career experiences — AND certified coaches from the P&G Alumni Women's Leadership Forum
- Carol Yang spent 13 years at P&G, with 23 years of senior corporate experience across Asia Pacific and North America. As a coach, Carol has multiple certifications with a special focus on leadership mindset, behavior shifts, and positive intelligence. Carol is a firm believer that you are most successful when you lead from the core of who you are.
- Heidi Piper spent 30 years at P&G, across the US, Belgium, and Germany. Currently as a coach, she holds several certifications. Heidi believes we have our own innate wisdom and when we're deeply listened to and really seen, heard and accepted, we can achieve our full potential in work and in life
- Carol Fusek spent 26 years at P&G — starting in Cincinnati and then across Asia-Pacific in leadership roles, primarily in supply chain. As a coach, she is certified in the neuroscience of leadership and as a certified dementia practitioner. Carol believes that what makes leaders exceptional is their people sense and their ability to connect to the hearts and minds of the organization they lead.
- Ilhiana Rojas started her career at P&G Mexico, after which she continued her career across different Fortune 500 companies, both in Mexico and in the US. As a coach Ilhiana is focused on leadership development.
Over the new year, we'll share more powerful coaching discussions with P&G Alumni Coaching — coaching.pgalums.com — a recently launched program by the P&G Alumni Women's Leadership Forum. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in life. Coaching is for anyone willing to challenge themselves to go after their professional or personal aspirations — through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alumni can sign up for their first FREE coaching session @ coaching.pgalums.com. Because unlocking your full potential is a great way to start the new year...
As 2022 comes to a close, we compiled some of the year’s learnings...from leaders. So sit back with your beverage of choice and enjoy. And give us a gift - leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — hearing from YOU, our fellow Alums makes a big difference for our team as we reflect on the year. THANK YOU for the continued support of our podcast and our amazing guests...
- Suzy Deering: Ford Motor Company CMO
- Claire Elvers, Wayfair’s Head of Global Brand Management & Insights
- Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award–winning actor and produce
- Nitin Gajria, Google’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Christine Fisher, Possip Co-Founder & COO
- Marissa Solis, National Football League (NFL) SVP of Global Brand & Consumer Marketing
- Tristan Walker, Walker & Co, CEO & Co-Founder
- Sharon Hall, Walmart’s VP of Global Executive Recruiting
- Seaphes Miller, Founder & CEO of Fusion Integrated Solutions
- Andrew Tarvin & Raman Sehgal reflecting on 100+ episodes
- John Pepper & Qaisar Shareef on Understanding Ukraine & Russia
- Arianna Huffington, Thrive Global Founder & CEO
- Raj Rao, IBM’s GM for Blockchain Ventures
- Malcolm Gladwell, Author & Journalist
- Dian Alyan: GiveLight Foundation Founder & CEO
- Kevin Hochman, Kentucky Fried Chicken, President, Yum! Brands
- Ikdeep Singh, Mars Petcare President, North America
- Qaisar Shareef, P&G’s former head of Pakistan & Ukraine
- P&G Alumni Comedians: Greg Warren, Josh Sneed, Rajiv Satyal, Andrew Tarvin
- Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard Psychologist & ‘Blindspot’ Author
- Mike Shangkuan, Lingoda CEO
- Gary Vaynerchuk (VaynerX) & Bracken Darrell (Logitech): Masters of Digital Disruption
- Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati Mayor
- Kevin Shapiro, Coty SVP of US Marketing
- Julie Eddleman, DoubleVerify’s Global Chief Commercial Officer
- Jay Sethi: Diageo Beer Company CMO & SVP of Diageo Convenience
- Shelly McNamara: P&G’s Chief Equality & Inclusion Officer
- Guy Raz, NPR Producer & Journalist
- Jakub Kocinski, Digital Safety & Trust (P&G, Google, TikTok, Meta)
- Poliana Sousa, Latin America’s Coca-Cola™ Lead
- Vivek Sunder: Cuemath CEO
- Katie Couric, TV Journalist, Producer, & Author
- K Patrick Davis: Blue Buffalo VP & General Manager
- Ana Maria Henao, PepsiCo’s VP of Global Marketing Excellence
- TEDx Talks with P&G Alums: Drew, Ida, & Rajiv
- John Pepper & Ursula Burns’ (Xerox former CEO) on Race & Understanding
- Tom Asacker, P&G Trainer & Author
- David Youn, Master Lock, President
- Alonya Tkachenko, Nommi CEO & Co-founder
- Paul Polman, Unilever xCEO on “Net Positive”
- Kyle Schlegel, Weber’s VP Americas Marketing & DTC
- Judy Okten: The Power of Disconnecting
- Edward Norton - Actor, Director, Activist, Entrepreneur (from P&G’s “More Than Soap” Podcast)
- Jim Lafferty, Fine Hygienic Holding, CEO
- JOHN SMALE - John Pepper & David Taylor’s reflections on John Smale
- Chip Bergh, Levi’s CEO: Advocacy, Activism & John Smale
- Bob McDonald & Bob Gill’s reflections on John Smale
- Janet Reid & Gordon Brunner’s reflections on John Smale
- A.G. Lafley & Charlotte Otto’s reflections on John Smale
- Oya Canbas, Bayer Global Brand Director
- Vahe Ayvazian, Abbott Divisional Vice President of Marketing & Core Diagnostics
- Sudha Ranganathan, LinkedIn’s Director of Product Marketing
- David Taylor, P&G’s Former CEO & Chairman
“My job as CEO wasn't to be right, it was to see that the right thing gets done. Surround yourself with the people and resources you need to solve things.”
David Taylor served P&G’s Chairman & CEO from 2015 to 2022 - having worked at P&G for more than 40 years. Throughout his career, David held leadership roles within both operations and marketing, managing P&G manufacturing sites, and eventually leading various consumer brands across North America, Europe, and Asia. David reinvigorated P&G's growth during his tenure, returning it to sustainable, balanced growth and value creation by simplifying the company's management structure and empowering business leaders to drive operational excellence in their specific areas of responsibility. David also led the company during the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving both worker safety and supply chain resiliency. goes without saying that David is among one of the great modern CEOs of P&G, steering the company through a trying time, and demonstrating the purpose, values, and principles that continue to make P&G not just the sustaining, successful business we know it to be, but also a culture of some of the best people in the business. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation covering not just the highlights of David’s storied career, but the reflections on his learnings along the way.
“I was not gonna follow rules if they didn't make any sense to me. There's a healthy sense of curiosity and a willingness to challenge the status quo.”
Sudha Ranganathan is LinkedIn’s Director of Product Marketing on the Talent Solutions business — helping employers worldwide hire and develop strong talent in the new world of work. Sudha’s advocacy of consumer-centric marketing comes from a career spanning consumer insights and product marketing. Prior to LinkedIn, Sudha worked at Paypal as Senior Manager, Strategic Customer Insight, as well as at Affinova as VP on Strategic Account Development. Sudha got her start at P&G in Consumer Insights where she spent 7+ years working across Asian markets. Sudha earned her MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Mumbai. Sudha has a track record for developing high-performing, psychologically safe teams. As a trained CTI (Co-active Training Institute) coach, Sudha has a passion for unlocking the highest potential within individuals and teams. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the importance of emotional intelligence for modern leaders.
“Finding your voice in an organization is not easy. Great leaders gave me a push when I needed the push. So now I need to do the same - giving others their voice.”
Oya Canbas is Global Brand Director and I&D Lead for Bayer Consumer Health — leading Bayer’s biggest nutritional brand, Elevit, globally which has a purpose of giving every baby best start in life. She is also the global lead in Inclusion and Diversity. In her 8 years in Bayer Consumer Health, Oya held two GM roles in UK and Ireland, as well as in Turkey. Prior to Bayer, she established her career at Gillette and then in Procter and Gamble for 18 years in leadership roles across Turkey, the UK and Russia on brands like Pampers, Ariel, Fairy, Always, Head & Shoulders, Gillette and Oral-B. Born in South Africa, raised in Turkey, and now living in the UK, Oya is a is a passionate leader and brand builder — and also a proud mother of two children. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about being a passionate learner, developing high performing teams, and bringing out the best in people.
“Be curious. Curiosity is the foundation of success. Understanding where people are coming from helps you to ask the right questions.”
Vahe Ayvazian is Abbott’s Divisional Vice President of Marketing & Core Diagnostics. Having served at Abbott for 8+ years, Vahes work is focused on delivering measurably better healthcare performance through innovation to the healthcare ecosystem. Vahe got his start at P&G, spending twelve years in marketing and category management roles, from Prilosec OTC to Pantene — where in haircare he helped turn around a decade of brand decline through simpler innovation and retailer understanding. Vahe earned his bachelor’s degree in Marketing and International Business at Indiana University, and has received executive certifications from the CMO program and Big Data from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business. A proud husband and father of two, Vahe is also on the board of a local school district educational foundation in the Chicago suburbs. Always curious, Vahe has grown his career passion for building teams and organizational culture for sustainable growth. Through his early years in sports that greatly shaped his team player attitude to the mentors at P&G that believed in him and demonstrated the importance of listening and being curious, Vahe pays the leadership learning and mentorship forward on the global teams he now leads.
“For the time that you're chief executive or leading a business, you are the soul of the company.”
A.G. Lafley and Charlotte Otto return to our podcast — as two P&G Alumni whose career was directly and influenced by John Smale, and his unique style of leadership. A.G. Lafley served P&G’s CEO & Chairman twice - from 2000-2009 and 2013-2015, and Charlotte served as P&G’s Global External Relations Officer for thirteen years - the company’s first female corporate officer. Both have a lot to share about the purpose-inspired, caring, yet demanding and principled leader that was John Smale.
For this month’s podcasts, we'll be hearing reflections from leaders on John Smale, P&G's former Chairman & CEO, who led P&G from 1981-1990, and served as General Motors’ Chairman from 1992-1995. These conversions are in honor o f the new book "Here Forever: The Timeless Impact of John Smale on Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and the Purpose and Practice of Business" (by Rob Garver), available now. While John Smale passed away in 2011 - he is arguably one the most influential leaders of the modern era, growing P&G more than six-fold in his tenure. And yet, Smale is largely unknown to many leaders guiding American and global businesses today. John's leadership in developing a vision for corporate purpose was decades ahead of its time. This was a book years in the making by not just the author, but many of some of the biggest leaders in business. “Here Forever” is a compelling and insightful read we’d highly recommend, and will make a great holiday gift for the admired, or aspiring leaders in your life. Pick up a copy wherever you get your favorite books
- Johnsmalehereforever.com
- goodreads.com/book/show/62350265-here-forever
- amazon.com/Here-Forever-Timeless-Practice-Business/dp/1667864068
- /bookshop.org/p/books/here-forever-the-timeless-impact-of-john-smale-on-procter-gamble-general-motors-and-the-purpose-and-practice-of-business/18846027?ean=9781667863818
“John Smale pushed the company to have a deeper ear toward what consumers really want. He made a greater effort to take a listen.”
Janet Reid and Gordon Brunner are two P&G Alumni who had the privilege of coming up at the company during John Smale's rise in leadership at P&G. Janet Reid is Founder, CEO and Managing Partner of BRBS World, but spent 10 years as an early African American brand manager at P&G, from 1980 to 1990. And Gordon Brunner - a familiar guest on this podcast - was P&G's former Chief Technical Officer, and one of the company's most renowned R&D executives - and the first R&D'er to sit on the company's Board. Both have a lot to share about the purpose-inspired, caring, yet demanding and principled leader that was John Smale.
For this month’s podcasts, we'll be hearing reflections from leaders on John Smale, P&G's former Chairman & CEO, who led P&G from 1981-1990, and served as General Motors’ Chairman from 1992-1995. These conversions are in honor o f the new book "Here Forever: The Timeless Impact of John Smale on Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and the Purpose and Practice of Business" (by Rob Garver), available now. While John Smale passed away in 2011 - he is arguably one the most influential leaders of the modern era, growing P&G more than six-fold in his tenure. And yet, Smale is largely unknown to many leaders guiding American and global businesses today. John's leadership in developing a vision for corporate purpose was decades ahead of its time. This was a book years in the making by not just the author, but many of some of the biggest leaders in business. “Here Forever” is a compelling and insightful read we’d highly recommend, and will make a great holiday gift for the admired, or aspiring leaders in your life. Pick up a copy wherever you get your favorite books
- Johnsmalehereforever.com
- goodreads.com/book/show/62350265-here-forever
- amazon.com/Here-Forever-Timeless-Practice-Business/dp/1667864068
- /bookshop.org/p/books/here-forever-the-timeless-impact-of-john-smale-on-procter-gamble-general-motors-and-the-purpose-and-practice-of-business/18846027?ean=9781667863818
“The purpose, values and principles — John Smale understood the importance of the soul of the company.”
Bob McDonald & Bob Gill are two P&G Alumni who share many things in common, least of which is their first name. The first is no stranger to this podcast — Bob McDonald, who served as P&G's former CEO from 2009-2013, and was the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2014-2017. And our second guest is another well known Alum to many P&G Executives — Bob GIll - who served at P&G for 28 years in many senior leadership positions - from 1974 to 2002, where he had more than a few interactions with John Smale. Both of this episode’s Bobs - McDonald and Gill — have a lot to share about the purpose-inspired, caring, yet demanding and principled leader that was John Smale.
For this month’s podcasts, we'll be hearing reflections from leaders on John Smale, P&G's former Chairman & CEO, who led P&G from 1981-1990, and served as General Motors’ Chairman from 1992-1995. These conversions are in honor o f the new book "Here Forever: The Timeless Impact of John Smale on Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and the Purpose and Practice of Business" (by Rob Garver), available now. While John Smale passed away in 2011 - he is arguably one the most influential leaders of the modern era, growing P&G more than six-fold in his tenure. And yet, Smale is largely unknown to many leaders guiding American and global businesses today. John's leadership in developing a vision for corporate purpose was decades ahead of its time. This was a book years in the making by not just the author, but many of some of the biggest leaders in business. “Here Forever” is a compelling and insightful read we’d highly recommend, and will make a great holiday gift for the admired, or aspiring leaders in your life. Pick up a copy wherever you get your favorite books
- Johnsmalehereforever.com
- goodreads.com/book/show/62350265-here-forever
- amazon.com/Here-Forever-Timeless-Practice-Business/dp/1667864068
- /bookshop.org/p/books/here-forever-the-timeless-impact-of-john-smale-on-procter-gamble-general-motors-and-the-purpose-and-practice-of-business/18846027?ean=9781667863818
“Democracy works best when every eligible voter has an opportunity to have their voice. American business is built upon having a stable democracy.”
Chip Bergh is President & CEO of Levi Strauss & Company — and a returning podcast guest (2020). Chip spent 28-years at P&G in leadership roles from Folgers to Swiffer, from Asia to Gillette and Old Spice. He got his start in the US Army as a paratrooper, rising to the rank of Captain.
Chip came back on the pod to talk about something he's passionate about: the evolving role of the CEO - going beyond the P&L to advocacy and activism. Chip learned the idea of "the Responsible CEO" from P&G's former CEO John Smale (1981-1990), arguably one of the most influential leaders of the modern era. Chip shares his thoughts from the new book about John Smale “Here Forever: The Timeless Impact of John Smale on Procter & Gamble, General Motors and the Purpose and Practice of Business." Chip also discusses the issues he and Levi's are active in: voter registration, women's rights, ending gun violence and climate change. While many of us have strong beliefs on these topics, the goal of this discussion was not to push an agenda, but rather to focus on the nonpartisan business reasons for taking a stand on certain issues. Chip shares stories of not just his own style of values-driven leadership, but also how he’s continued - through humility and humor - Levi’s tradition of social activism.
“We learn from stories of character. How to live making decisions, caring for people, and carrying out the responsibility of a corporation, which John Smale perceived way before others.”
For this month’s podcasts, we'll be hearing reflections from leaders on John Smale, P&G's former Chairman & CEO, who led P&G from 1981-1990, and served as General Motors’ Chairman from 1992-1995. These conversions are in honor o f the new book "Here Forever: The Timeless Impact of John Smale on Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and the Purpose and Practice of Business" (by Rob Garver), available now.
While John Smale passed away in 2011 - he is arguably one the most influential leaders of the modern era, growing P&G more than six-fold in his tenure. And yet, Smale is largely unknown to many leaders guiding American and global businesses today. John's leadership in developing a vision for corporate purpose was decades ahead of its time. This was a book years in the making by not just the author, but many of some of the biggest leaders in business.
John Pepper and David Taylor — two of P&G's former Chairmen & CEO - sat down with Dorion Positano on P&G's More Than Soap podcast (GetMoreThanSoap.com). Both David Taylor and John Pepper have a lot to share about the purpose-inspired, caring, yet demanding and principled leader that was John Smale.
“Here Forever” is a compelling and insightful read we’d highly recommend, and will make a great holiday gift for the admired, or aspiring leaders in your life. Pick up a copy wherever you get your favorite books
- Johnsmalehereforever.com
- goodreads.com/book/show/62350265-here-forever
- amazon.com/Here-Forever-Timeless-Practice-Business/dp/1667864068
- /bookshop.org/p/books/here-forever-the-timeless-impact-of-john-smale-on-procter-gamble-general-motors-and-the-purpose-and-practice-of-business/18846027?ean=9781667863818
“We live in a world of massaging perceptions. It's okay to make a mistake, but the second time you have to learn from these things.”
James Michael Lafferty is a returning guest to the podcast — rejoining us for an open and honest conversation about making mistakes, and owning up to them. Jim is the CEO of Fine Hygienic Holding - a leading CPG company across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and USA - as well as an accomplished writer, coach, and athlete. Jim is an internationally-tenured leader whose career spans 3 decades and 5 continents. Jim served as CEO of British American Tobacco in the Philippines and Coca-Cola in Nigeria. He led a distinguished 24-year career at P&G, leading the company in both the Philippines and Poland, rising through the ranks in senior roles across Western Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. Beyond being a dedicated husband and father of 5, Jim is also an accomplished coach and athlete - serving as a Coach of the Philippines Olympic Athletics team at the 2016 Rio Games, having run 30+ marathons, and was the 2017 Philippines National Champion in Powerlifting. Jim’s consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies, and his many talks and lessons have inspired brand managers around the world. He currently lives in the United Arab Emirates. In a world of projections, you’ll appreciate Jim’s vulnerabile, candid conversation.
"What gets made gets affected by the quality of the insights."
Edward Norton is an actor, filmmaker, and activist. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his work in Primal Fear, American History X, and Birdman and has starred in several other acclaimed films including Fight Club, The Illusionist, and Moonrise Kingdom. Edward is also a UN Ambassador for Biodiversity, a successful investor (Uber, CrowdRise, and Kensho — acquired by SAP for $550 million), and deeply involved in wilderness conservation. In 2015, Edward co-founded EDO with PhD economist, poet, and entrepreneur Daniel Nadler. EDO is a leading TV outcomes company that works with top brands, networks, and Hollywood studios — from AT&T and Disney, to Univision, and of course P&G — using cutting edge data science to predictively power the success of marketing, research, and creative professionals. In a candid conversation ranging from David Bowie to data science, you’ll enjoy hearing about stretching your limits beyond what’s expected of you — across many paths of creativity, business, and entrepreneurship. If you're ever driven to do something more than your day job, or what the world expects of you - AND you happen to be a bit of a nerd about marketing and tech - this is the podcast episode for you.
But Edward Norton is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“From the moment we wake up to going to bed, we spend a lot of time consuming. But If you are consuming all day, you are not creating. We need to turn down the noise.”
This week we’re sharing a talk on “The Power of Disconnecting in the Digital Era” by P&G Alumni Judy Okten - given at P&G Alumni Global Conference Madrid in 2019. It’s a topic that’s becoming more relevant as we become more and more connected every day. Judy Okten is the Co-Founder & CEO of Burgeon Labs, a science-based learning company. that empowers healthcare practitioners and innovators to develop the most effective solutions to preventative and personalized medicine through data science. Judy is also the Co-founder of Vitality Food Lab where she launched BonJu, the first fresh green smoothie brand in Switzerland to make it easier for busy people to eat healthy. And of course Judy spent a large part of her career @ P&G - leading marketing teams in Geneva and Toronto - across haircare and homecare brands. She also spent 4 years in brand management @ KAO Brands in Canada, and 2 years as a business analyst at CIBC. The message of finding more space to create - not just consume - is of particular relevance, now more than ever.
Every 2 years the P&G Alumni Network convenes top thought leaders from the Alumni Community and beyond. The next one will be in Washington DC in 2023, so make sure you're signed up for updates on pgalums.com - and all of the P&G Alumni Network's social channels so you're the first to know. Got a reco for a future speaker or guest? Be sure to send us a note - pgalumpod@gmail.com.
“When you meet resistance - teach. Because one of you doesn't have the context that the other one has. Rather than debate and clash - better to explain why it is.”
Kyle Schlegel, is Weber Inc’s VP of Americas Marketing and Direct-to-Consumer - where he helps bring to life the most innovative, legendary grills in the world. Prior to Weber, Kyle spent three years at Louisville Slugger before its acquisition by Wilson Sporting Goods, where he then led all marketing strategy and execution across the Wilson Racquet Sports portfolio, the #1 iconic name in tennis. And Kyle spent thirteen years at P&G in brand management on brands like Herbal Essences, Old Spice, Aussie, and Wella. Kyle is also the recipient of the CMO Club’s Rising Star Award and AdAge’s 40 Under 40. Kyle now lives just outside of Chicago with his wife, daughter, and pub. While sports plays a different role in life today, Schlegel still fits it in wherever he can among other priorities in life, such as friends, family, faith and serving others. You’ll enjoy this candid, vulnerable, and insightful conversation about Kyle’s journey from Kentucky farmboy to Chicago professional.
“When you meet resistance - teach. Because one of you doesn't have the context that the other one has. Rather than debate and clash - better to explain why it is.”
Kyle Schlegel, is Weber Inc’s VP of Americas Marketing and Direct-to-Consumer - where he helps bring to life the most innovative, legendary grills in the world. Prior to Weber, Kyle spent three years at Louisville Slugger before its acquisition by Wilson Sporting Goods, where he then led all marketing strategy and execution across the Wilson Racquet Sports portfolio, the #1 iconic name in tennis. And Kyle spent thirteen years at P&G in brand management on brands like Herbal Essences, Old Spice, Aussie, and Wella. Kyle is also the recipient of the CMO Club’s Rising Star Award and AdAge’s 40 Under 40. Kyle now lives just outside of Chicago with his wife, daughter, and pub. While sports plays a different role in life today, Schlegel still fits it in wherever he can among other priorities in life, such as friends, family, faith and serving others. You’ll enjoy this candid, vulnerable, and insightful conversation about Kyle’s journey from Kentucky farmboy to Chicago professional.
“Business cannot sit on the sidelines — we're not moving at the scale and speed needed, we as industry leaders have an enormous responsibility to drive these tipping points.”
Paul Polman, one of our most prominent and vocal P&G Alumni, who also happens to be the former CEO of Unilever. In this talk from 2021 P&G Alumni Global Conference Paul talks about "Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take" - a recent book he co-authored, the Financial Times named among the Best Business Books of 2021. The Financial Times declared Paul "a standout CEO of the past decade” - as he is a leading proponent that business should be a force for good. And the Economist declared Paul "An advocate of sustainable capitalism explains how it's done."
Paul Polman is the co-founder of IMAGINE, where he is mobilizing businesses to tackle climate change and global inequality. Paul also served as the CEO of Unilever from 2009-2018, where he created - and proved- a long-term approach to global problems can also drive business performance. Prior to Unilever, he was Nestle’s CFO & Head of Americas. And of course, Paul got his start at P&G, where he spent 27 years rising through the ranks ultimately leading Europe for P&G. Paul continues to be active on the world stage, bridging the private/public sectors. Alongside the UN Secretary General, he helped develop the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Paul is chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, The B Team, Saïd Business School and Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact. You'll enjoy this very frank, compelling, and action oriented talk about what we can all be doing as business and community leaders — to face the challenges we have in front of us, and be a force for good.
- Paul’s past P&G Alumni Podcast appearance: https://apple.co/3eI5PSR
- BOOK: Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take - goodreads.com/book/show/58090463-net-positive
“Business cannot sit on the sidelines — we're not moving at the scale and speed needed, we as industry leaders have an enormous responsibility to drive these tipping points.”
Paul Polman, one of our most prominent and vocal P&G Alumni, who also happens to be the former CEO of Unilever. In this talk from 2021 P&G Alumni Global Conference Paul talks about "Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take" - a recent book he co-authored, the Financial Times named among the Best Business Books of 2021. The Financial Times declared Paul "a standout CEO of the past decade” - as he is a leading proponent that business should be a force for good. And the Economist declared Paul "An advocate of sustainable capitalism explains how it's done."
Paul Polman is the co-founder of IMAGINE, where he is mobilizing businesses to tackle climate change and global inequality. Paul also served as the CEO of Unilever from 2009-2018, where he created - and proved- a long-term approach to global problems can also drive business performance. Prior to Unilever, he was Nestle’s CFO & Head of Americas. And of course, Paul got his start at P&G, where he spent 27 years rising through the ranks ultimately leading Europe for P&G. Paul continues to be active on the world stage, bridging the private/public sectors. Alongside the UN Secretary General, he helped develop the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Paul is chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, The B Team, Saïd Business School and Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact. You'll enjoy this very frank, compelling, and action oriented talk about what we can all be doing as business and community leaders — to face the challenges we have in front of us, and be a force for good.
- Paul’s past P&G Alumni Podcast appearance: https://apple.co/3eI5PSR
- BOOK: Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take - goodreads.com/book/show/58090463-net-positive
“That was the moment I realized that if you're able to articulate complex things in a very simple language, that's the ultimate goal – in arts, in literature, in business.”
Alyona Tkachenko is the CEO and cofounder of Nommi, a mobile WiFi hotspot that provides LTE data in over 100 countries. She also serves as the VP of Global Markets at Sergek Development. Prior to founding Nommi, Alyona was the head of marketing for Love to Code, a coding school for children in Kazakhstan. Alyona started her career at Procter & Gamble, working in CMK for sales and eCommerce. Alyona is a Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 for Consumer Technology and also a P&G Alumni Network’s Leader Under 40. She continues to focus on improving the quality of Computer Science education and digital literacy of Kazakhstani school children through the NGO StudyCS. Alyona graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Kazakh State University. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about doing what feels right in the moment, and owning those decisions for success.
“That was the moment I realized that if you're able to articulate complex things in a very simple language, that's the ultimate goal – in arts, in literature, in business.”
Alyona Tkachenko is the CEO and cofounder of Nommi, a mobile WiFi hotspot that provides LTE data in over 100 countries. She also serves as the VP of Global Markets at Sergek Development. Prior to founding Nommi, Alyona was the head of marketing for Love to Code, a coding school for children in Kazakhstan. Alyona started her career at Procter & Gamble, working in CMK for sales and eCommerce. Alyona is a Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 for Consumer Technology and also a P&G Alumni Network’s Leader Under 40. She continues to focus on improving the quality of Computer Science education and digital literacy of Kazakhstani school children through the NGO StudyCS. Alyona graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Kazakh State University. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about doing what feels right in the moment, and owning those decisions for success.
“Diversity is almost synonymous with humanity — our communities and companies should reflect that diversity of the rest of the world to make impactful change.”
David Youn is President of Master Lock, the 100-year-old American company that is the leader in manufacturing & sales of locks, safes, and commercial security equipment. David started as a management consultant but learned that he enjoyed running businesses more than analyzing them. From entrepreneurship to corporate, from P&G’s brands of Tampax to Pampers, and from living in the U.S. to an expat in Korea working for Samsung, David’s journey is a testament to his motto of moving constantly and living boldly.
At the helm of Master Lock, David has delivered all time records in sales & profit and throughout his career has maintained a focus on people through mentorship and teaching. Not surprisingly, David also has a diverse range of hobbies, from being a pilot, to music, to being a dance instructor and he holds 2 degrees: a BA in Political Science from Stanford and an MBA from Northwestern. David’s wife is also a P&G alum and his son is a competitive swimmer and Rubik’s Cuber. As a proud Korean-American, you may find David watching K-drama. You’ll enjoy this great conversation about how our upbringings affect our work and life choices, taking a non-traditional career path by moving around and living boldly and the importance of finding commonalities amongst each other, in any situation.
“Leaders must define the vision of how the world could exist — based on values, ideas, imagination — and driven by love for your people and passion for possibility.”
Tom Asacker is a longstanding strategist, speaker, and trainer — well known to many P&G executives. Tom is a writer, former GE executive, past owner of a high precision electronics firm and Founder & CEO of a medical device company. Tom holds medical patents and product design awards - and is recognized by Inc Magazine, MIT, and YE’s “Birthing of Giants” entrepreneurial executive leadership program. The author of several critically acclaimed books, including “The Business of Belief.” Tom’s a painter, magician, philosopher and screenwriter.
But while Tom IS known to many P&G’ers - he’s not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“Making improvements is challenging. But we can't give up and we've got to learn how to do it better.”
“Speak, engage, help, be helped. Be part of society. Be an optimist towards the fact that people can change, that people can learn.”
John Pepper, P&G’s former CEO, and Ursula Burns, Xerox’s former CEO, sit down for a candid conversation on race, understanding and our discourse with each other. This is a conversation the two longtime friends have been having for years - alongside many of us. While John needs no introduction to many, Ursula’s impressive career is worth sharing...
Ursula M. Burns is the Retired Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation and VEON Limited — and among the first Black women to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Ursula is also a founding partner of Integrum Holdings, Non-Executive Chairman of Teneo Holdings LLC, and the Executive Chairman of Plum Acquisition Corp. At Xerox, Ursula served from 2009-2017, having joined as a summer intern in 1980, after which she rose through the ranks across corporate services, manufacturing and product development. Ursula also serves on several corporate boards, including Uber Technologies, Exxon Mobil, Endeavor Group Holdings, Waystar and Hear.com Ursula’s also involved in leadership counsel for the Ford Foundation, MIT, the Cornell Tech Board, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Mayo Clinic, among others.
From 2009-2016, President Barack Obama appointed Ursula to lead the White House national program on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Ursula also led the President’s Export Council from 2010 - 2016. In February 2022, Burns joined the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Ursula is a mechanical engineering alumni of Columbia University and NYU - and she’s a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the G7 Gender Equity Advisory Council.
Originally recorded on February 25, 2022 - this is an important conversation we hope will make many think and feel more deeply. While each of our guests are part of some great organizations who support the sharing of our views, these are the views of our guests alone. Got ideas for future deep dive topics with past and future guests? Reach out to pgalumpod@gmail.com
TED talks are "Ideas Worth Spreading" - short talks and presentations that have lit up the internet since 2006. But did you know a # of Alums have shared TEDx talks at official events with their communities?
We're featuring THREE such TEDx talks from co-hosts - Andrew Tarvin, Ida Abdalkhani, and Rajiv Satyal — all of which have amassed more than a few views online - and share one important theme in common (a coincidence, we promise!). We guarantee you'll enjoy these talks, and hopefully learn a little something along the way. And if you're a P&G Alumni with a TEDx talk - shoot us a note - pgalumpod@gmail.com - and maybe we'll feature your TEDx talk on a future P&G Alumni Podcast!
- Andrew Tarvin: "The Skill of Humor" - TEDxTAMU (June 2017) - https://youtu.be/MdZAMSyn_As
- Ida Abdalkhani: "Happier in 5 Minutes" - TEDxOhioStateUniversity (March 2015) - https://youtu.be/-HJG63EXCmw
- Rajiv Satyal: "Today's Jester: The Comedian" TEDxUCincinnati (June 2016) - https://youtu.be/rgAgwDTju-M
“Approach life as a lifelong learning journey. Be curious enough to really ask why - as that wisdom has no expiration date.”
Ana Maria Henao is PepsiCo’s Global Marketing VP, leading the Marketing Excellence and Partnership Strategies across both food and beverages for PepsiCo globally, reporting to the Global CMO. Ana Maria has over 22 years of Marketing experience, having started her career at P&G in Bogota, Colombia, as an ABM in detergents. Having worked in a variety of roles across developed and emerging markets. Ana Maria led the development of mainstream and luxury brands, turning around businesses and leading acquisitions, while transforming commercial functions to embrace the challenges of the digital era. Originally from Colombia, Ana Maria currently lives in Miami with her husband and two children. In this candid conversation you’ll enjoy hearing about wisdom vs intelligence, being curious, and choosing to be a protagonist.
“No question, you have to speak up. Because I know people spoke up for me and questioned incorrect assumptions or bias in the room.”
K. Patrick Davis is the VP and General Manager for Blue Buffalo, the #1 natural pet food brand in the US, and now General Mills largest brand. Previously Patrick was Henkel’s SVP and Head of US Laundry & Home Care — working on brands like All, Snuggle, Persil, and Renuzit — where he also functioned as the division CMO. Patrick also spent ten years as VP + General Manager at Georgia Pacific - leading work on many of the company's largest brands and retailers. And of course, Patrick got his start at P&G - spending nearly a decade in marketing and sales - working on teams like Crest and Walmart. Patrick received his MBA from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and studied business science at The University of South Carolina at Columbia. For 30 years, Patrick’s been a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, continuing to serve as a local officer — and he’s also an active mentor to young men of color through the Kappa League program. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and three sons. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about authenticity , connection, respect — and speaking up.
Katie Couric is renowned and award-winning journalist, producer, and best-selling author. Katie is currently the Founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. Katie also publishes the daily newsletter "Wake Up Call" From 2013 to 2017, Katie was Yahoo's Global News Anchor. Katie has been a host on all 3 major US TV networks — NBC News from 1989 to 2006, CBS News from 2006 to 2011, and ABC News from 2011 to 2014 — and in her early career she was an assignment editor for CNN. In addition to her TV news anchor roles , Katie has also hosted the Today show and 60 Minutes, and in 2004 Katie was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
In this conversation from the 2021 P&G Alumni Global Conference, Katie sat down with Marc Pritchard, P&G’s Chief Brand Officer, to share their vision of a fairer and more equitable world through media and advertising. Katie speaks of the importance of accurate portrayals, images, and representation — influenced by the work of Mahzarin Banaji - who we’ve also featured on this podcast — on how our brains are hardwired to make associations and connections. Katie spoke of growing up with women only portrayed as stay-at-home moms and having to insist that she would not just cover cooking or fashion shows. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation between two of the industries’ biggest leaders in media - on the importance of change - and understanding.
“Tech will do everything - but it won’t make you a better human. Use technology to get less busy and focus on being a better human, and the world will be a better place.”
Vivek Sunder is CEO of Cuemath - the education technology company whose mission is to make the world’s children great at math — to create invincible problem-solvers who will go on to solve humanity’s biggest problems. Vivek’s been in the lead of the India-based company since 2021 - with aims to scale the business globally. Prior to leading Cuemath, Vivek served as COO of Swiggy - India’s leading online delivery service - helping the company scale from good to great, to 500+ cities in 18 months - especially during the global pandemic. Vivek also spent twenty years at P&G in various capacities across developing markets (India, Africa) as well as developed markets (UK, Singapore, Korea) and hybrid markets (China, Thailand, Malaysia). Vivek is passionate about building organizational capability and has a proven track record of creating better business results via more capable teams - spanning 20+ nationalities - from new country startups to traditional business unit roles. Vivek is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, and prior to that studied Computer Engineering from Delhi University. He is a regular guest lecturer at his alma mater IIM-C, as well at other premier B-schools across the world where he teaches and shares business expertise. Vivek speaks six languages, and has a passion for photography with work featured in global media outlets like National Geographic, the BBC, and ET. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the intersection of technology, business, and behavioral psychology.
“You need other people — work well with others and learn from them. The more you grow, the more you realize you don't get anything done alone.”
Poliana Sousa is Latin America’s Coca-Cola™ Lead, which includes communication strategy and innovation in 39 countries in South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Poliana also plays a key role in the brand’s long-term strategic planning and leads key global projects as part of the Global Coca-Cola network. Before joining Coca-Cola, Poliana held several leadership positions at Procter & Gamble for nearly 20 years — her roles included Marketing, Brand Communications and Media Director in Brazil, and on brands such as Gillette, Pampers, and Oral-B. Poliana has a degree in Business Administration from Iowa State University and an MBA from Xavier University. She has received several industry awards including Forbes' Best 10 CMOs in Brazil (2020) and 10 Most Admired Executives in Brazil by Agency Scope (2020). You’ll enjoy this authentic and vulnerable conversation about overcoming big changes, imposter syndrome, and adversity - to persevere and thrive at work and life.
“Leading in social media and fighting bad actors - these problems didn’t always exist. It's fascinating how quickly things change.”
Jakub Kocinski is a Digital Safety & Trust leader - with experiences across P&G, Google TikTok, and Meta — where he’s held responsibility for a wide array of key issues of digital platform integrity. Prior to his most recent role of Responsible Innovation at Meta - Jakub served as Director of Trust & Safety at ByteDance, the company behind the popular app TikTok. Prior to Bytedance, Jakub spent 6 years building and leading Trust & Safety in Google focusing on Gmail, Google accounts security as well as a wide portfolio of Google products. Jakub started his career at Procter & Gamble in 10 years across eCommerce and IT operations, Jakub was born in Poland and completed his Computer Science Masters at Technical University of Gdańsk followed by an MBA at Kozminski University in Warsaw. A family man, Jakub enjoys being outdoors and tinkering with the latest gadgets to automate - or complicate his life. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the importance of digital safety and trust - but also the importance of responsible innovation we must all bring to our work.
“Creativity is listening to an idea, even a bad idea, and helping turn it into a good idea.”
Guy Raz is arguably among the most prolific voices in podcasting. He’s the creator and host of popular shows like “How I Built This”, “Wisdom from the Top”, and “The Rewind” — and the co-creator of “The TED Radio Hour” and the kid’s show “Wow in the World.” Guy is the only person to have had three shows ranked in the top 20 podcasts worldwide and a recipient received the Edward R. Morrow Award, the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize, The National Headline Award, and the NABJ Award - among many others. You’ll enjoy this conversation on creativity and curiosity.
But Guy Raz is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“We are all intersectional - uniqueness is our greatest gift. Empathy makes you a better leader.”
This Pride Month, we wanted to replay a few conversations with past LGBTQIA+ guest on this P&G Alumni Podcast.
Shelly McNamara is P&G’s Chief Equality & Inclusion Officer, where she’s responsible for shaping culture, policies, and leadership to promote greater diversity. Shelly’s also an avid storyteller, speaker and writer — her new book No Blanks, No Pauses - weaves her life story with reflections and poetry. Shelly got her start in Sales, and spent 25+ years rising through P&G’s HR ranks, ultimately rising to the level of Executive Vice President - where she worked on some of the company's largest businesses with brand portfolios ranging from $4B to $35B, working on employee populations exceeding 25,000. Shelly’s committed to enabling employees of every background to bring their full selves to work. - an active member of P&G’s Corporate Women’s Leadership Team, and she’s led the expansion of LGBTQ+ employee groups around the globe.
Shelly shares many stories from her personal and professional life - as a mother and “out” female executive. Through her writing - and poetry - she’s been able to process and persevere through many moments of inclusions - and exclusion. Core to Shelly’s every day work is to have people think more about our shared humanity - because ultimately, that’s where true understanding comes from - to tackle the issues we must all face together.
“Let's be wrong sooner because we'll learn from it - move on and take on challenges in a very different way.”
This Pride Month, we wanted to replay a few conversations with past LGBTQIA+ guest on this P&G Alumni Podcast.
Jay Sethi is the CMO of Diageo Beer Company and Senior Vice President of Diageo’s Convenience Category. In addition to leading and executing for three of Diageo’s business units, Jay has a strong passion for inclusion and diversity and was instrumental in creating the “Love Wins” campaign for the Smirnoff brand in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) celebrating love and acceptance. Prior to Diageo, Jay worked at Procter & Gamble as the Director of North America COVERGIRL, returning the brand to growth through new and exciting partnerships, including the NFL and The Hunger Games movie franchise. Jay is known as an innovative marketer and has received numerous awards, including a “40 under 40” Marketing Leadership Award from Advertising Age. Jay graduated from The University of Chicago and previously worked in the world of Chicago politics with roles in the U.S. Senate and top political campaigns. Jay is fluent in Spanish and is proudly multicultural as a Mexican and Indian American. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about how to be more thoughtful - and intentional about using your skillset to have an impact in and beyond work, because there are many actionable steps anyone can take to be more open and inclusive in business, and life.
“Being the first person in a role can be a career accelerant.”
This Pride Month, we wanted to replay a few conversations with past LGBTQIA+ guest on this P&G Alumni Podcast. And what better executive to revisit than Julie Eddleman, DoubleVerify’s Global Chief Commercial Officer. Prior to joining DoubleVerify, Julie spent six years at Google as one of the companies top Client Partners - accelerating partnerships with companies like GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and P&G. And across nearly 20 years at P&G, Julie worked on partnerships with the NFL, Olympics, and many of the company’s biggest partnerships and investments. Julie’s been recognized as an AdAge Media Maven, an LGBT Influential Leader by The Advocate magazine, and Woman of the Year by PowerPlay New York City for her role in mentoring young women and girls. Julie’s a graduate of Purdue University, as well as a proud wife and a mother. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about not just bringing your full, authentic self to work, but the importance of taking risks, making choices, and building relationships
“Authenticity and relevancy are easy to connect back to the business when you have people who represent the diversity of our consumers.”
Kevin Shapiro is Coty’s SVP of US Marketing at Consumer Beauty at Coty, where he manages a large portfolio of consumer brands, including Sally Hansen and CoverGirl. Kevin has led beauty brands across a number of iconic global companies, including L’Oreal, Revlon, Elizabeth Arden and Procter & Gamble — where he served as brand manager on The Art of Shaving and Pantene. Having received his MBA from the University of Southern California, and studied business at Georgetown, Kevin actually got started in the Automotive industry working for Edmunds. Kevin grew up in Mexico and brings his fluency in Spanish and a multicultural mindset to everything he does. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on authentic brand building, representation, and the power of learning and listening in the ever changing beauty industry.
“Politics is all about empathy — people believing that you understand their plight, their issue, their life — and that you have a plan to help them.”
Aftab Pureval is the Mayor of the city of Cincinnati. As Cincinnati’s 70th Mayor, Aftab has made equitable economic growth a top priority of his administration, as well as a comprehensive reform and improvement of public safety, affordable housing, and environmental action. Formerly serving as the first Democrat to be elected Hamilton County Clerk of Courts in over 100 years, Aftab opened an award-winning Help Center and became the first countywide officeholder in Ohio to offer paid family leave. Mayor Aftab was born and raised in Southwest Ohio - he attended The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati College of Law where he represented victims of domestic violence who could not afford an attorney. Aftab served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and worked as an attorney at Procter & Gamble working on brands like Olay. Mayor Aftab lives in Clifton with his wife and sons. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about redefining what a name means - and showing up for what matters.
“There is a level of compassion to understanding that there's things that need to be done.” // “We have to make up for lost time - transparent actions and results need to follow.”
In the midst of all the social and upheaval we continue to face facing - we sat down with serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, alongside Logitech CEO (+ P&G Alum) Bracken Darrell for a conversation with two “Masters of Digital Disruption”. In a candid conversation that spanned the internet and blockchain technologies (driving increased transparency and accountability) - to the greater need for social and environmental impact (rooted in business values) - you’ll enjoy this conversation with two leaders who are constantly learning and growing personally, and professionally.
Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur at heart — he builds businesses. Considered one of the leading global minds on what’s next - Gary is a serial entrepreneur, and serves as the Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia and the Creator & CEO of VeeFriends. Gary works with Fortune 1000 brands thru his agency VaynerMedia — a part of the VaynerX holding company - which also includes Eva Nosidam Productions, VaynerNFT, Gallery Media Group, The Sasha Group, Tracer, VaynerSpeakers, and VaynerCommerce. Gary is also the Co-Founder of VaynerSports, Resy and Empathy Wines. He is a prolific angel investor with early investments in companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, Snapchat, Coinbase and Uber. Gary’s also a Board Member, advisor, best-selling author, and award-winning speaker and thought leader with millions of followers.
Bracken Darrell is President & CEO of Logitech - a company he joined in 2012 - where he’s led brand vision and operations - as the driver for Logitech’s continued growth and profitability (up over 13x) — reinventing Logitech into an award-winning design company, an industry force pursuing a more sustainable and equal world. Beyond Logitech’s numerous awards in design, innovation, and sustainability during his tenure, Bracken himself has been named Swiss CEO of the year by Obermatt three times in the past four years, won the P&G Alumni Innovation Award, and will receive the 2022 Edison Achievement Award. Prior to joining Logitech, Bracken spent a decade in executive roles @ Whirlpool, Braun, and General Electric - and also worked in brand management at P&G. Prior to receiving his MBA from Harvard, Bracken worked at Arthur Anderson and PepsiCo. Bracken serves on the board of directors of Life Biosciences, a longevity company, and on the U.S. advisory board of Harvard Business School. Bracken received his MBA from from Harvard Business School and studied English from Hendrix College in Arkansas, and loves playing basketball with his boys.
“It's through language that you understand another culture - how their world works. It's about that human connection with people.”
Mike Shangkuan is an EdTech entrepreneur, fitness fanatic, and pioneer in language learning. As the CEO of Lingdoda, Europe’s leading online language school. And he’s a polyglot - speaking six languages - English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese — having lived in 8 countries across 4 continents, and traveling to over 100 countries. Prior to leading Lingoda, Michael was CEO of Terra Education, a B-corp offering life-changing service learning summer programs to teens in Africa, South America, and Asia. Mike has worked in brand management at both Clorox & P&G, and held roles at Goldman Sachs and Borden Capital Management. He is a graduate of Yale University and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. On top of all that, Michael was also once a former natural bodybuilder having competed at several international competitions. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about life, language, and the culture quotient.
“The study of Implicit bias asks are we doing our job as well as we can be? To be consistent with values, goals and intentions — we want to do something about it.“
Dr. Mahzarin Banaji is an award-winning experimental psychologist and professor at Harvard University and the author of “Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People.” Her research explores the human mind, why and how we think and feel, especially in social context. Dr. Banaji helped create world-renowned frameworks to better identify and address implicit human biases, and she’s the co-creator of the Implicit Association Test, which has been used +40 million times worldwide. You’ll learn how human beings think, the nature of subconscious human biases, and how individuals and organizations can combat implicit bias - and why it will make an outsized impact.
But Dr. Banaji is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
"Humor is a way to deal with failure, because you'll be onto something much bigger. Nothing is the defining moment of your life — if you don't let it be.”
Did you know that several P&G Alumni have become (inter)nationally known stand up comedians? In honor of World Laughter Day (May 1st), we decided to go deeper and chat with not one, not two, but THREE P&G alumni who are now full-time in the world of comedy — Greg Warren, Josh Sneed, and Rajiv Satyal. And if you count P&G Alumni Podcast co-host Drew Tarvin as a “Humor Engineer” - consider it 3.5 P&G Alumni Comedians. We want to learn about life as a creative entrepreneur, how humor applies to work, and how a business mindset can help anyone in their passion project - because when comedy is your day job, it’s no joke. Our guests for this very special (and funny) episode...
- Greg Warren is a nationally touring headliner and has been featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, BET and CMT. He is a fan favorite on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show and can be heard daily on Sirius/XM. Prior to becoming a full-time comedian, Greg spent 10 years at P&G as an account executive for brands like Pringles and Folgers, and as a project manager at the GO in Cincinnati. He’s currently based in St Louis, MO. You can see Greg’s recent special, Where the Field Corn Grows on Amazon Prime Video - https://amzn.to/39pXxfT
- Josh Sneed is a nationally touring comedian with appearances on Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, and Dry Bar Comedy with clips from his special having been viewed more than 50 million times. He has performed at the prestigious “Just For Laughs” Comedy Festival in Montreal, the Aspen Comedy Festival, and was chosen by Comedy Central to perform in their inaugural South Beach Comedy Festival. Prior to becoming a comedian, Josh spent five years at working in corporate IT, including time as a systems analyst for P&G in Cincinnati, where he still resides. Check out Josh’s special “Life’s Better When You’re Fat” on YouTube, by Dry Bar Comedy https://youtu.be/Q-C9mPu7r_4
- Rajiv Satyal is the first and only comedian to perform standup on all seven continents Rajiv co-created the world-touring Make Chai Not War, a Hindu/Muslim stand-up show sponsored by The U.S. State Dept and he’s opened for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rajiv hosts the talk show “What Do You Bring to the Table,” (now in it’s 2nd season), and his massively viral I AM INDIAN video has been seen over 50 million times. Prior to becoming a full-time comedian, Rajiv worked as an ABM and account director at P&G, including driving award-winning word of mouth campaigns for P&G and external brands such as Coca Cola and Microsoft. He’s currently based in LA. https://rajivsatyal.com/
- Drew Tarvin is an accomplished author and speaker - having done over 1000 shows as an improv and stand-up comedian, have performed in all 50 states, 30 countries, and 1 planet (Earth). Drew’s TEDx talk on the skill of humor has been viewed more than 10 MILLION times. Drew’s also the co-founding co-host of Learnings from Leaders (this podcast) and CEO / Founder Humor That Works, a training firm that helps businesses get better results while having more fun - humorthatworks.com
"There is no bending your principles and values, you either stick by them or you don't.”
Qaisar Shareef spent a 30 year career at Procter & Gamble - where he led the company’s operations in Pakistan & Ukraine. As April marks the Holy Month of Ramadan in the Islamic world this year, we decided to revisit some past conversations with past Muslim guests that you may have missed — and even if you’ve already heard, are worth a fresh listen.
Qaisar is the author of “When Tribesmen Came Calling: Building an Enduring American Business in Pakistan.” For Qaisar, Pakistan was actually an organization he helped build for the company many years prior when P&G was first starting business in the region. Qaisar is based in the Washington DC area where he is an advisory partner to Ward Howell International. He also teaches at George Washington University’s Department of International Business. Qaisar serves on the board of HOPE USA, OPEN DC, and Transparent Hands, a crowdfunding platform helping cover the underprivileged’s health care costs. He’s also on the Executive Committee of US Pakistan Foundation, and is president of Montgomery County Muslim Council. Qaisar has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation from a Muslim American leader, about living and working out of your comfort zone. Qaisar shares not just his perspective of establishing a viable business in an emerging market, but also about returning home - multiple times - to make an impact on both sides of the world.
“Nothing can teach you more than your failures. Your struggles are where you're growing the most.”
Ikdeep Singh is Mars Petcare’s President of North America, responsible for iconic brands such as Pedigree, Iams, Cesar, and Sheba — and driving the company’s purpose of “A better world for pets.” Prior to Mars, Ikdeep served as the President at the L’Oréal Group, and he started his career at P&G P&G, where he worked across Canada, the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China for 14 years in Beauty Care, Baby Care and Grooming. Recognized on Forbes’ inaugural “CEO Next” list, Ikdeep had humble beginnings in rural India. He studied Industrial Engineering at Dalhousie University, and received an MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania where Ikdeep serves on the advisory board for Wharton’s Baker Retail Center. Ikdeep and his family of 4 are avid travelers and “gastro-tourists” who go in search of some of the world’s most delicious places to eat. You’ll enjoy this thoughtful conversation about slowing down to reflect and learn — because with hard work, and some lucky breaks, we can find a path we love, collaborating with others to win, together.
“The higher you go, it's harder to understand the front lines. Be in touch to accelerate your growth.”
Kevin Hochman, is Kentucky Fried Chicken’s US President at Yum! Brands, and the former President of Pizza Hut US. As KFC’s President Hockman oversees more than $10 billion in retail sales across 10,000 restaurants. For more than eight years, Kevin’s held numerous senior positions at Yum! Brands. Previously Kevin led P&G’s North America Cosmetics business, the culmination of an 18-year career at P&G as business leader across brands like Olay, Gillette, Secret, Old Spice and CoverGirl. Kevin has earned multiple recognitions from Forbes - naming him the world’s 2nd most influential CMO - to AdAge’s A-List. You’ll enjoy this conversation about the learnings on Kevin’s journey from CPG to the fast food industry, and how he became a more inclusive, servant leader along the way.
“People tend to be afraid of the unknown. The most dangerous thing is the illusion of knowledge. We need to have an open mind and embrace the world.”
Dian Alyan is the Founder & CEO of the GiveLight Foundation (GiveLight.org) — a non-profit inspired by Islamic values to help orphans across the globe regardless of nationality, race or religion. As April marks the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan in the Islamic world this year, we decided to revisit some past conversations with past Muslim guests that you may have missed — and even if you’ve already heard, are worth a fresh listen.
Dian founded GiveLight.org after the 2004 South Asian tsunami, where she lost many loved ones in her home country of Indonesia . Dian was inspired to provide for children going through similar devastation around the world — natural disasters and extreme conditions, like poverty and war. GiveLight is a non-profit creating high quality homes and education for global orphans. What began as one home for 50 children has now expanded to support over 1,000 orphans in 11 countries globally — with a goal of housing 10,000 children in response to natural disasters, poverty, and war. GiveLight has responded to crises in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Morocco.
Prior to founding GiveLight - Dian spent a decade as the Outreach Director for the Muslim Community Association in the San Francisco bay area. And Dian got her start at P&G in brand management in beauty and healthcare brands across Asia. Dian’s work with GiveLight has garnered awards and engagements from Fortune 500s + prominent universities, and has been featured in Newsweek, the Huffington Post, and many other media outlets. She lives in the San Francisco bay area, a mother of two - but she considers all children GiveLight reaches as a part of her family. Learn more about how you can help at GiveLight.org
“The ability to persist in the face of overwhelming odds is a kind of necessary feature of the innovator.“
Malcolm Gladwell is a Canadian journalist and writer best known for treading the boundary between popularizer and intellectual. Malcolm’s the author of bestsellers like “The Tipping Point”, “Blink”, “Outliers”, “Talking to Strangers” and most recently — “The Bomber Mafia.” Malcolm is also the co-founder of Pushkin Industries, an audio content company that produces the podcasts “Revisionist History,” which reconsiders things both overlooked and misunderstood, and “Broken Record,” interviewing musicians across genres. Gladwell has been listed as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers.
But Malcolm is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“The first job of any leader is to coach people that can do a better job than them, and lead better than them — to unlock people's fullest potential.“
Raj Rao is IBM’s General Manager of Blockchain Ventures where he oversees programs in blockchain, AI and cloud architecture. Raj was previously the CEO of Ford Mobility, leading the automotive company’s Palo Alto based mobility business investments, as well as Chief Digital Officer of 3M. Raj got his career start at P&G marketing - working across Europe, the Middle East, and Canada. A native of India, Raj earned an honors degree in economics from the University of Delhi, and a Master’s Degree in Management from Boston University’s Business School. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the factors that influence our careers — and why it’s important to bend the culture as a leader.
“When you take care of yourself, you are much more able to lead, to be more creative, more empathetic.”
Arianna Huffington is Founder & CEO of Thrive Global, a firm centered on health and wellness information. Arianna was also the Co-founder of The Huffington Post, the author of fifteen books, one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People,” and Forbes “Most Powerful Women,” among numerous other honors. In 2011, AOL acquired The Huffington Post for $315 million, where Arianna became President & Editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, which included The Huffington Post, AOL Music, Engadget, Patch Media, and StyleList — where she served until 2016. Arianna currently serves on numerous boards, including Uber, Onex, and Global Citizen. Arianna’s last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time were both instant international bestsellers.
At the 2021 P&G Alumni Network Global Conference, Arianna sat down with Debbie Majoras, P&G’s Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, for a candid conversation on “How To Thrive.” The two discussed our once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine the way we work and live — the necessary mindshift that employee well-being drives peak performance - which builds sustainable standards of excellence.
“In facing a crisis, you have to try to understand the reality as seen by different people. We've got to bring that to bear now, even as we're speaking.” -John Pepper
UPDATE 3/14/2022: Our original podcast discussion was recorded on 3/72022. Many things have changed since that moment, including a vocal response to erroneous statements we made on this show. Those incorrect statements have been removed, and we apologize for the impact they had - given the nature of this very sensitive subject to so many people around the world. Since then, we have had discussions with many of you, and we know those conversations remain ongoing. And for that we are grateful. You'll find an updated statement by John Pepper in the introduction to this episode.
ORIGINALLY RECORDED ON 3/7/2022: As the terrible situation continues to unfold in Ukraine, it is too easy to remain distant. But what is happening now is real, Ukraine is a sovereign nation of 44 million people, and with a rich and beautiful culture. At the same time we find ourselves on a precipice. In moments like this, hearing from our leaders can help us think through...and make sense of everything going on.
Two of those very leaders are past guests John Pepper, P&G’s former CEO, and Qaisar Shareef, P&G’s former head of Ukraine and Pakistan, who joined us for a discussion on Monday March 7, 2022. Both have extensive personal and professional experience in Ukraine and Russia, having also each authored numerous posts and books on related topics.
In this candid conversation, we hope to share a nuanced perspective - informed by their personal, professional, and political experiences in the region - to help us go beyond the news headlines for an honest, informed discussion of the situation we collectively face.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- SupportUkraineNow.org
- novaukraine.org
- razomforukraine.org
- wck.org (World Central Kitchen)
- globalgiving.org
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- John’s ‘Pepperspectives’ blog: pepperspectives.blogspot.com
- Qaiser’s recent op-ed on Ukraine: blueearbooks.substack.com/p/memories-of-ukraine
- Raman’s podcast chat with Ukrainian + Ukrainian American colleagues: modmypod.com/episodes/ep-135-we-are-all-ukrainians
- P&G’s Official Statement: pg.com/blogs/pg-european-operations-update
“We really want to dive deep because no two people are going to answer the same,“ “These deeper conversations are what's going to be true years from now.”
100 Episodes later, Drew & Raman sit down for a chat about what they’ve learned from all their Learnings from Leaders, answer some of the questions they get most often about this P&G Alumni Podcast, share a little more under the hood, and tease what’s coming up for the next 100 episodes...
“You've got to suspend how you think about things to be successful. There is power in creating the story that will be told.”
Seaphes R. Miller is an accomplished entrepreneur - the Founder & CEO of Fusion Integrated Solutions - a design, engineering and technology firm he started in 2004 - focused on creating innovative solutions for the CPG and energy industries — recognized as a top minority-owned business enterprise. Prior to founding Fusion, Seaphes spent 20 years at P&G working across brand Management, Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain & Manufacturing. Seaphes is a Professional Engineer, having studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Northwestern University, and having received his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Seaphes is also on the board of Navāda Labs, and a supporter of STEM-based programs designed to create and fill the next generation of technologists in the US. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about challenging existing norms, building relationships, and the power in creating the story that will be told.
“People need to be treated equitably to move forward. As we normalize and equalize, we’re saying all people are the same. Well, guess what? They're not.”
Sharon Hall is Walmart’s VP of Global Executive Recruiting - where she's building a dynamic organization for a changing culture. Sharon previously spent 20+ years as a Partner at Spencer Stuart, a leader in executive search, board services and leadership consulting - where she founded the firms Diversity practice and were the first Black Woman to serve on the Board — she later managed the firm’s Atlanta office. Prior to her work in executive recruiting, Sharon spent a decade at Avon in roles of strategic planning for Asia all the way up to a general manager in Personal Care. Sharon was also a consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, and got her start at P&G in Brand Marketing in the Paper Division. Sharon graduated Magna Cum Laude from Morris Brown College, and got her MBA from the University of Southern California. Sharon’s been recognized in Fortune Magazine, Dollars & Sense Magazine, Business to Business, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Black Enterprise. She lives in Atlanta, where she raised her two sons. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about challenging career assumptions - especially as a Black woman - and the many lessons learned along the way.
"I had an authentic connection to the problem - a perspective on cultural connection. So it wasn't powering through rejection, it was neglecting it - because I just knew something they didn't.“
Tristan Walker is the Founder & CEO of Walker & Company Brands, acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2018. Walker & Co. is best known for best-selling brands like Bevel & Form - Healthy and Beauty designed for communities of color. So Tristan is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share a sneak peak of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas.
Prior to Founding Walker & Co, Tristan was Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Andreessen Horowitz, the prominent venture capital firm. He also served as Director of Business Development for Foursquare - managing strategic partnerships a brands like American Express, The New York Times, CNN, MTV, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Starbucks. Tristan’s also had experiences with Boston Consulting Group and Twitter. Currently, Tristan serves on the Boards of Foot Locker, Shake Shack, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Tristan is also the Founder and Board Chairman of CODE2040, a program that matches high-performing Black and Latino undergraduate and graduate coders and software engineering students with Silicon Valley start-ups for summer internships. Fortune Magazine named him as one out of 50 of the “World’s Greatest Leaders.” You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about neglecting the laziness of others, and truly empathizing with your customer’s experiences.
“More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“Stay humble, stay grateful. Your position or work isn’t what matters most. For me, it's my family and the opportunity to impact others and give back.”
Marissa Solis is the National Football League’s SVP of Global Brand & Consumer Marketing. Prior to joining the NFL, Marissa led marketing for Frito Lay North America and was at PepsiCo for almost two decades. She won several preeminent marketing awards for her work on Cheetos, Doritos and Tostitos brands and in 2021, was recognized by Adweek as one of the Most Powerful Women in Sports for elevating the football watching occasion with the NFL and Frito Lay partnership. Marissa joined PepsiCo after a stint in public sector and political consulting at Deloitte and began her career in brand management at Procter & Gamble Latin America where she led marketing for brands like Ariel, Downy, and Pampers in Central America and the Caribbean. She is a graduate of Georgetown University with a B.S. in International Economics & the University of Texas at Austin, with an M.A. in Public Policy and serves on the Board of Directors for the North Texas Chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation and on the Board for The Melville Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of minority children in Dallas. Marisa has also found time to become a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do while raising her daughter, Gaby, together with her husband, Juan, in Texas. You’ll enjoy hearing this candid conversation about being grateful for all we have, embracing our unique perspectives, and not being afraid to speak up when in the public eye.
"I needed to work on something that had social impact — a game changer for schools to hear from parents in a different way."
Christine Fisher is the Co-Founder and COO for Possip - an education technology start-up that helps schools better hear from parents. Christine spent 13 years at P&G working in Finance on some of the company’s biggest brands—including Tide, Charmin, and Bounty. But equally notable — Christine has been finding ways to be more actively involved in her community - during her time at, and beyond P&G. Christine first campaigned in 2017 for the Cincinnati Board of Education, and later in 2018 as a Candidate for the Ohio State Legislature - running for Ohio’s 27th House District. Christine is active in the education community as a Board member for Cincinnati Preschool Promise, the Beech Acres Parenting Center Board, and Cincinnati Public Schools Audit Committee. She attended a STEM-focused public school in Montreal, Canada, and earned her BA in Computer Engineering from Queen’s University. In 2020, the Cincinnati Business Courier named Christine one of the city’s “40 Under 40” in recognition of her contributions to both the business and education sectors, and she was recently recognized as a 2021 P&G Alumni Leader Under 40.
“In Africa there's a billion people about to get on the Internet. What kinds of opportunities will they create? How will they solve problems?”
Nitin Gajria is Google’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa- where he works to make the internet more helpful for Africa - leveraging technology as an enabler for amazing things. Google recently announced a $1B investment over the next 5 years in Africa. Having been at Google for 7 years, Nitin previously led YouTube’s business in India & South-East Asia, and led Google in Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos. Prior to Google ,Nitin served as a regional marketing director for Mead Johnson Nutrition for Asia Pacific, and of course, got his start at Procter & Gamble - rising thru the ranks of brand management over 11 years across countries and categories- working on brands like Safeguard, Tide, Ariel, Vicks, Olay, SK-II, Pantene, Herbal Essences, Head & Shoulders, Wella, and more. Nitin is keenly interested in tech start-ups and is an angel investor himself - providing smart capital to startups in Southeast Asia. A husband and a father, Nitin hails from Mumbai, and has lived and worked in Sydney, Singapore and now Johannesburg. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about alway seeking what we have in common, amidst all difference and diversity we see in this world
“Start canceling out those lanes that aren't feeding you well - that aren't giving you ROI - that are holding you back.”
Matthew McConaughey is an Academy Award–winning actor and producer, and the author of the NY Times bestselling book GREENLIGHTS, among many other things — but Matthew is NOT a P&G Alumni. So what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share a sneak peak of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas.
As one of the world's most compelling public figures - Matthew McConaughey needs no introduction. Beyond his entertainment work, he’s an active philanthropist with his Just Keep Livin’ Foundation, a professor at the University of Texas in his hometown of Austin, a brand ambassador for Lincoln Motor Company, an owner of the Major League Soccer club Austin FC, and co-creator and creative director of his favorite bourbon on the planet, Wild Turkey Longbranch. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on achieving a greater ROI on life - by catching more greenlights—and realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too.
“More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com
“With innovation failure happens more often than not. Take lessons from those experiences - the connections you can draw into something more interesting.”
Claire Elvers is Wayfair’s Head of Global Brand Management & Insights - where she is building long-term brand equity across the globe - with consumers, partners, and employees. With 20+ years of experience in advertising, CPG, retail, e-commerce, and health & fitness industries, Claire has held senior innovation and marketing roles at Amazon, Starbucks, and Clorox. And of course, Claire got her start at P&G Beauty - working on delivery and innovation roles for the global relaunch of Pantene. Claire studied English and Economics at Northwestern University and got her MBA from the University of Michigan. You’ll enjoy this candid, empathetic conversation about bringing together your personal and professional aspirations.
“Get uncomfortable. Don't feel like you can’t keep creating new value in an environment of curiosity.”
Suzy Deering is Ford’s global Chief Marketing Officer - leading Ford’s North America marketing and driving strategy across the company’s global business units – to constantly enhance and release the huge customer and company value across Ford’s iconic brands. Suzy was previously global CMO of eBay, where she helped revive the company’s brand and drive sharply higher revenue. She also served as CEO of Moxie, a technology-led marketing agency, and spent many years in senior media and brand roles at Verizon and Home Depot. And she actually got her start at the Walt Disney Company, and studied Advertising at the University of Georgia. Suzy’s been recognized as an AdAge “40 Under 40” and as one of Business Insider’s “Top 50 Most Innovative CMOs.”
While Suzy may not be a P&G Alumni - she is a purpose driven leader. Suzy also happens to be a longtime friend of fellow P&G Alumni leader (and past podcast guest) Kirk Perry, now CEO of IRI Worldwide, who joins for the first of many “deep dives” - where past guests invite non-Alumni leaders to a candid conversation on their leadership journeys.
Which purpose driven leaders do YOU know and want to hear? Let us know at pgalumpod@gmail.com, and who knows, maybe you’ll hear them on our podcast soon!
As 2021 comes to a close, we put together a not-so-quick compilation of our favorite moments from all of the great conversations we had over the past year. So sit back with a beverage of choice, enjoy, and PLEASE DO share our podcast with a friend (and leave us a review) — it makes a big difference!
Got a guest idea or want to ask a question? Email us! pgalumpod@gmail.com
We can’t wait for you to hear what’s next in the new year!
Heard someone you liked? Be sure to go back and check out their full episode. Featuring the voices of our amazing guests...
- Najoh Tita-Reid: Logitech Head of Marketing Reinvention
- Kirk Perry: Google's former President of Brand Solutions
- Zena Arnold: Kimberly Clark’s Chief Marketing & Digital Office
- Tarang Amin: e.l.f. Beauty CEO & Chairman
- Tiana Conley: Kellogg’s VP of Global Cereal
- Mohan Mohan: P&G former international leader (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
- Jim Lafferty, Fine Hygienic Holding, CEO
- Emily Chang: McCann Worldgroup China, CEO
- Shelly McNamara: P&G’s Chief Equality & Inclusion Officer
- Gurcharan Das: P&G’s former head of India, Author & Scholar
- Michelle Crossan: Samsung Electronics’ SVP of Strategy, Innovation & Transformation
- Jorge Mesquita: Johnson & Johnson’s former Executive Vice President
- Charlotte Otto: P&G’s former Global External Relations Officer
- Dian Alyan: GiveLight Foundation Founder & CEO
- A.G. Lafley: P&G’s former Chairman & CEO
- Mark Tatum: NBA Deputy Commissioner & Chief Operating Officer
- Noel Geoffroy: Sanofi President, North America Consumer Healthcare
- Brian McNamara: GSK Consumer Healthcare CEO
- Amanda Clark: Papa John’s Chief Development Officer
- Karan Bajaj: Whitehat Jr. Founder & CEO
- Sylvie Moreau: Coty’s former President of Professional Beauty
- Jim Stengel: P&G former Global Marketing Officer
- Remi Kent: 3M’s SVP & Chief Marketing Officer
- Tom Kuhn: PGA Tour, VP of Marketing
- Teri List: former CFO, the Gap, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kraft Foods
- Jay Sethi: Diageo Beer Company CMO & SVP of Diageo Convenience North America
- Lisa Gevelber: Google’s Chief Marketing Officer for the Americas
- Jim Taylor: Arby’s President
- Silvia Dávila: Danone - President of Latin America
- Kevin Clayton: Cleveland Cavaliers, VP of Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement
- Julio Nemeth: P&G’s Chief Product Supply Officer
- Kristi Zuhlke: Founder & xCEO, KnowledgeHound
- Gordon Brunner: P&G’s Former Chief Technology Officer
- Matt Story: Visa’s VP of Global Marketing Partnerships & Advocacy
- Yolanda Talamo: Heineken Chief People Officer
- Brian Niccol: Chipotle Mexican Grill, CEO & Chairman
- Jorge Uribe: former P&G Latin America leader
- Keila Lazardi: Revlon Chief Scientific Officer
- Craig Bahner: Sara Lee Frozen Bakery CEO
- Tiyale Hayes: BET SVP of Brand Strategy & Marketing
- Jamal Muashsher: Valvoline President of Global Products
- Joe Arcuri: American Greetings CEO
- Peg Wyant: P&G’s first female Brand Manager, Grandin Properties Founder & CEO
- Stefan K. James: Nationwide Insurance AVP of Marketing
- Bob Gilbreath: Hearty CEO & Co-founder
- Alicia Enciso: Nestlé USA’s Chief Marketing Officer
- George Felix: Tinder’s Chief Marketing Officer
- Mark Mercurio: Gorilla Glue President & CEO
- Luis Silberwasserat: Univision - President, TV Networks
“It's not just one Latino or one Hispanic group, it's much more nuanced. It's less about the language and more about who we are and what our role is in this country.”
Luis Silberwasser is Univision’s President of the Television Networks Group, where he oversees the company's TV networks, as well as its entertainment, news and sports divisions along with its ops and tech teams. Luis is a seasoned, award-winning TV executive with 25+ years’ experience building TV networks and creating entertainment content focusing on International, U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets. Prior to joining Univision, Luis served as Telemundo Networks’ President where he modernized the brand and transformed the company’s content strategy. Earlier in his career, Luis served as Discovery Networks EVP and Chief Content Officer, having risen through the company’s senior ranks. And of course, Luis got his start in brand management at P&G in Beauty Care. Luis studied industrial engineering at Georgia Tech, and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. Luis is a proud dual citizen of the United States and Columbia, passionate about Futbol, History, and Latin music, and lives in Miami with his wife and four children. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about creating content that resonates across cultures and generations.
“Don’t measure success by traversing processes and challenges - but if you win once it gets in the hands of consumers.”
Mark Mercurio is President and CEO of The Gorilla Glue company, a leading, family-owned producer of consumer-branded Glues, Tapes, and Personal Care products based in Cincinnati, Ohio - and often ranked as one of the best places to work in the city. Before becoming CEO in 2019, Mark served as the company’s CMO and President of their International Business. Prior to Gorilla Glue, Mark spent ten years at P&G in marketing roles across Fabric Care, Surface Care, trade marketing, and Pet Care. Mark started his career with Accenture as an IT management consultant. Mark studied Civil Engineering at the University of Cincinnati and received his MBA from the University of Virginia. Mark also serves as a Vice-Chair on the Board of Trustees at the Children’s Home of Cincinnati. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about managing transition to a family-owned business, and the importance of integrating fun at work as a competitive advantage - especially in today’s marketplace.
“Don’t get caught chasing what you think you have to chase. Figure out what you want to go do - and you’ll ultimately be happier and more successful”
George Felix is Tinder’s Chief Marketing Officer - where he leads the global brand vision, strategy, and operations for the highest grossing non-gaming app in the world. Previously, George spent 6 years at Yum! Brands in roles of rising seniority - most recently as CMO of Pizza Hut U.S. - where he led a new brand positioning and advertising campaign that delivered three consecutive quarters of sales growth including. George was also KFC’s marketing director for global and brand communications. During his time at Yum, George was named AdAge’s Marketer of the Year, KFC’s “ Return of Colonel Sanders'' campaign was named AdAge’s Campaign of the Year, and KFC was listed as a “Top 10 Brand.” George spent 6 years at P&G, rising through the ranks of brand management working on Old Spice and Mobile Marketing - leading campaigns that won 10 Cannes Lions, 2 Effies, and even an Emmy (for Best Commercial). George studied at the University of Notre Dame and received his MBA from UNC Chapel Hill. He currently lives in Dallas with his wife and 2 children. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about listening to your gut instinct vs what society (or even your parents) want you to do - pivoting when you realize something isn’t working, and always adapting and learning.
“When you face challenges, the more you imagine finding positive outcomes is important to finding a different solution.”
Alicia Enciso is Nestlé USA’s first ever Chief Marketing Officer - leveraging marketing as a force for good across the industry - in multicultural marketing, plant-based innovation, and scaling mentorship for underrepresented groups. Alicia has served at Nestlé since 2013, starting as a VP of Communications in Mexico. Prior to Nestlé Alicia was Managing Director of the Zyman Group - a media consultancy where she led the group’s operations in Mexico developing growth strategies for Fortune 500 companies. And Alicia spent eleven years at P&G - starting in Latin America and rising through the ranks across Personal Care, Home Care and Paper Divisions, where in 1997 she led P&G’s then-largest Latin American acquisition, creating a new Paper Division for the region.
Alicia studied at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and Harvard University - and serves as the Vice-Chair of the ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing. In this role - she works with fellow industry leaders to help drive equality, inclusion and systemic change in the marketing ecosystem and society. You’ll enjoy this positive, candid conversation about leaning into challenging opportunities and learning through action, positivity, and perseverance.
As 2021 comes to a close, we wanted to share an amazing donation - and winning - opportunity for ALL of our end-of-year giving.
- pgalums.com/raffle
- pgalums.com/donate
- https://pgalumnifoundation.org
The P&G Alumni Foundation creates economic empowerment opportunities for those in need around the world - providing marginalized communities sustainable paths to prosperity. As a registered nonprofit with HUNDREDS of volunteers around the world - the P&G Alumni Foundation does this each year by providing grants to some AMAZING organizations - funded through contributions by P&G Alumni and podcast listeners around the world.
The P&G Alumni Foundation is creating REAL, impactful economic opportunities for local communities - across rural Africa and Asia, in urban Mumbai and Cincinnati, as well as so many other amazing and deserving programs around the world - powered by P&G people. And for the month of December - to accelerate ALL of our year end giving, we’ve got TWO really exciting opportunities that we hope will motivate YOU to donate to the great work of the P&G Alumni Foundation.
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Thanks to the generosity of former P&G CEO John Pepper and his wife Francie, all year-end donations of ANY size will be matched, dollar for dollar.
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And to make things even more interesting - all donations given in the month of December will ALSO make you eligible to win a 30-minute Zoom call with some of our most prominent Alumni. Your donation - of any size - will enter you for the chance to win a conversation with folks like...
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AG LAFLEY - former P&G CEO
- PAUL POLMAN - former Unilever CEO
- BRACKEN DARRELL - Logitech CEO
- SILVIA DAVILLA - Danone President
- BENNO DORER - former Clorox CEO
- ...and many more accomplished Alumni leaders
Learn more on how to donate - AND win a chance for an amazing 1:1 Alumni conversation - at pgalums.com/raffle. Or you can simply give - and have your donations matched by John & Francie Pepper at pgalums.com/donate
No donation is too small, or too big - and it’s never too late to start giving back. Your donation is tax deductible - and through the power of P&G people - will be put to great use uplifting communities around the world!
“Being an entrepreneur gives you life and business experiences you don’t see on the corporate side. Those can make you a better business leader.”
Bob Gilbreath is an accomplished entrepreneur - currently the CEO & Co-founder of Hearty - a professional recommendation network where great people and companies find each other. Bob was previously the Co-Founder and CEO of Ahalogy, a leading influencer marketing company with clients such as P&G, Coca-Cola and Kroger - ultimately acquired by Quotient technologies. And before jumping into startups, Bob was a partner at Bridge Worldwide, a leading digital agency acquired by WPP to become POSSIBLE, where Bob served as Chief Strategy Officer. Bob literallywrote the book on ‘Marketing with Meaning’ (McGraw-Hill). Bob also worked at P&G on big brands like Tide but also launching new innovations like Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and Mr. Clean Auto Dry. - for which he was named an AdAge Top 50 Marketer. Bob has an MBA in Marketing from NYU/Stern and a BA in Economics from Duke University. A husband, father, mentor, avid reader and writer, Bob also may or may not be able to play the guitar. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about what it really means to be an entrepreneur, and the real dividend that comes from challenging yourself every day.
“How do you change the dynamic - where you have others with diverse thoughts and culture - so you're not alone?”
Stefan K. James is Nationwide Insurance’s AVP of Marketing for Personal Lines B2C Business. Prior to Nationwide, Stefan helped launch and accelerate SwitchedOn Training - a brain training app for athletes and pro coaches. Stefan spent ten years at Pepsi as a Marketing Insights Director on brands like Tropicana and Quaker Oat, and got his start at P&G working in CMK on brands like Herbal Essences, Pantene, Mr Clean and Swiffer, and Febreze. Stefan studied Public Relations at Florida A&M University and received his Masters in International Business from Nova Southeastern University. As a proud husband and father, Stefan’s accomplishments go far beyond boy bands and podcast appearances. You’ll enjoy this candid, nerdy conversation that frames privilege and perspective alongside career motivations and ownership.
“Outsiders bring fresh thinking to the table. Some of my biggest contributions were because I thought differently and spoke my own mind all the time.”
Peg Wyant is the Founder & CEO of Grandin Properties. But before that, Peg broke the glass ceiling at Procter & Gamble in 1967 - a decade before the phrase entered the lexicon. When the company tried to put her in the typing pool, she responded with “all I can do is think, don’t you have a test for that.” She rose through the ranks, becoming a serial “first female” including first brand manager and first direct report to then CEO John Smale as head of strategic planning and acquisitions. After leaving P&G to become an almost full-time mom, Peg sought other challenges — consulting for Fortune 500 CEOs, and founding a venture capital fund focused on women-led companies. Peg soon launched Grandin Properties, a real estate development and management company focusing on walkable urban neighborhoods in Cincinnati. Beyond her career, Peg helped found the P&G Alumni Network and the Women’s Capital Club. Peg’s new book is called One Red Shoe: The Story of Corporate America’s First Woman. Alongside her husband Jack, Peg has four children and nine grandchildren. You’ll enjoy this insightful conversation about what it takes to persevere when the odds may be against you, to challenge the status quo, outperform, and break through boundaries.
“Keep the consumer in the room. Don’t spend time on things that don’t matter to her.”
Joe Arcuri is the CEO of American Greetings which includes brands like American Greetings, Papyrus, and Carlton cards. He was also previously the CMO of the PGA Tour and President of home solutions for Newell Rubbermaid. Joe got his start at P&G, first in product development and later in brand management, where we rose through the ranks to VP and GM roles in North America Beauty, Global Personal Cleansing, and Western Europe Family Care. During his P&G career, Joe worked across brands like Vicks, Olay, Gillette, Old Spice, Secret and Ivory. Joe studied Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech University and received his MBA from Duke University. You’ll enjoy hearing about Joe’s track record for revitalizing brands and building strong cultures - and a candid conversation about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
“Don't rely on what got you there. Making time to invest in yourself is important.”
Jamal Muashsher serves as Valvoline's President, Global Products - where he’s responsible for the long-term growth and expansion of international markets, having risen through the ranks for 7+ years. Prior to joining Valvoline, Jamal spent nearly fifteen years at Procter & Gamble rising through the ranks of beauty, health, and home care, as well as P&G Entertainment. Jamal is active in the non-profit community, serving on a variety of boards and having co-founded and served as president of Give Back Cincinnati. In 2020, Jamal was selected as Man of the Year for the Lexington Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He also serves on the board for the Talent Magnet Institute and recently joined the University of Cincinnati Venture lab as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence Coach. A native of Cincinnati,, Muashsher studied Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and received his MBA from Auburn University. Now a Kentuckian, he lives with his wife and daughter.
“People want to be a part of the change. It’s important that allies are not only anti-racist, but accomplices.”
Tiyale Hayes is BET Network’s SVP of Brand Strategy & Marketing where he ensures the Viacom company advances business objectives and authentically connecting with African American audiences. Over his career, Tiyale has worked on some of the world’s biggest and best brands fueling his passion for authentic inclusion and empathy into brand building. Tiyale spent eight years at Johnson & Johnson in roles of increasing responsibility from sales to leading global insight development for a number of brands including Tylenol, Motrin, Listerine, and a number of Rx to OTC Switch initiatives. And during his six years at P&G, he led in Consumer Insights and Global Innovation groups on brands like Folgers, Pringles, Crest, Gillette and Old Spice.
Tiyale studied at Hampton University and received his MBA from Purdue. He is a frequent speaker at both private and industry conferences, leading thinking on how to create culture transformation and drive value for African Americans, Millennials, and LGBTQ+ populations. Tiyale serves on the board of the National Hampton Alumni Association and the non-profit Live Out Loud based in New York City.
You’ll enjoy this candid conversation spanning perspectives - with a focus on finding common threads that unite us, and moving ALL of us along the spectrum of ally to accomplice in actionable ways.
“You have to work harder with international assignments. Get to know the people, the culture - and see your own country through somebody else’s eyes.”
Craig Bahner is the CEO of Sara Lee Frozen Bakery - leading iconic brands like Sara Lee, Van’s, Chef Pierre and Bistro Collection. An 80 year old brand, Craig was there for the recent spin-off, putting in place pieces to accelerate growth, operations, and innovation. Previously, Craig was Kellogg’s President of US Morning Foods, and Wendy’s CMO - helping transform the iconic restaurant brand for the first time in decades. Craig spent 20 years at P&G rising thru the ranks - serving as GM of North America Hair Care & Color and GM of Northeast Asia’s Fabric & Home Care business. But Craig actually got his start in product supply @ Pillsbury, and later working at an AVIATION company in Cincinnati. Craig is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where he’s a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Fisher College of Business, and also a trustee of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Craig also happens to be an avid aviator - a certified pilot having flown all over the continent. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about stepping outside your comfort zone, and always seeking to humbly learn from those around you.
“With so much uncertainty, all of us are now more aware, focused and socially conscious. We are going to do wonders with that.”
Keila Lazardi is the Chief Scientific Officer of Revlon, responsible for global product innovation and strategies — across technologies and categories including skin care, color cosmetics, nail care, hair care, fine fragrances and deodorants. With 25 years of global experience in CPG & Health, she has an exceptional track record of delivering breakthrough innovation. Prior to leading at Revlon, Keila served as e.l.f. Cosmetic’s VP of R&D, and previously held senior technical roles at Schiff Nutrition, Reckitt Benckiser, and P&G, where she got her start - in paper, hair, fabric and home care categories. Keila received her PhD in Biochemistry from the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research and a Masters in Biology from Universidad Central de Venezuela. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the need for career transparency, authenticity, and perseverance - as well as a very optimistic take for the times that we live in.
“It is better to sleep well than to eat well. Knowing that you have done the right thing - there is nor price for that.”
Jorge Uribe served as P&G’s Global Productivity & Organization Transformation Officer until 2015. Mr. Uribe spent 33 years with Procter & Gamble, where he held roles as Group President, Marketing & Sales Vice President, and grew through numerous roles across Switzerland, Central America, the Caribbean, Cyprus, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Countries, Saudi Arabia and Colombia. Mr. Uribe serves on the boards of a number of organizations including General Mills and previously the United Way Worldwide. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Xavier University and a bachelor degree in management engineering from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation reflecting on an impressive career - from working on farms in Medellin, to a globe-spanning career - where Jorge demonstrates the power of always being your best self.
“It’s powerful to say ‘I don't know everything’ - I love an organization of thinkers, creators, and people unafraid to be accountable for ideas.”
Brain Niccol is the Chairman and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill - driving brand strategy and performance of over 2,700 restaurants across North America and Europe. Chipotle is a purpose-driven brand so many of us love - focused on fresh, responsible ingredients that respect the animals, land, and people who produce them. Prior to leading Chipotle, Brian was CEO of Taco Bell - the culmination of more than a decade @ YUM Brands in senior roles on Taco Bell & Pizza Hut - including VP, CMO, and General Manager. Brian got his start at P&G - where he spent nineyears rising through the ranks of brand management - working on brands like Scope, Thermacare, Vicks, Pringles. Brian studied Engineering @ Miami University in Ohio, and got his MBA from the University of Chicago. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about not just some of Brian’s earliest lessons in business, but also about how he’s always staying curious - and doing what’s right for our communities.
“Share good moments, but also pass on learnings where things did NOT go great - for experience and learning that will benefit others.”
Yolanda Talamo is The Heineken Company’s Chief People Officer. She joined Heineken in 2017 as SVP Human Resources for the Americas, but during the pandemic she assumed responsibility for all crisis management and related plans during COVID-19. Prior to Heineken, Yolanda was an SVP of Human Resources for SAB Miller, and spent 18 years at P&G, working in senior HR roles in Latin America and North America, as well as roles in marketing and consumer research. Yolanda has a proven track record of transforming organizations, developing executives and human resource organizations and delivering high performing teams with profitable business results. Yolanda was born in Venezuela, and holds American and Italian citizenships. She serves on several boards both in the U.S. and around the world and is seen as a positive and trusted force for change across organizations. In this candid conversation, you’ll hear not just about Yolanda’s accomplishments, but also her experiences with setbacks — and how she’s continued to use them as fuel for next steps and learning, as so many things in life are not a one-way door...
The P&G Alumni “Leaders Under 40” program (pgalums.com/40) is a great way for P&G Alumni under 40 doing amazing work in their careers and communities.
Nominations remain open until September 30th, and winners will be recognized at the P&G Alumni Global Conference (Nov 11+12). Nominate someone - or yourself (self nominations welcome) - at pgalums.com/40 - deadline is September 30th, 2021.*
*Fame and/or fortune not guaranteed, but thousands of people around the world will hear about this next generation of P&G Alumni Leaders at the upcoming global conference this November. To be eligible, P&G Alumni must still be under 40 by November 1, 2021.
...so be sure to visit pgalums.com/2021 - to nominate yourself, or a fellow P&G Alumni under 40 by September 30th, 2021!
“Seek out experiences and not titles, because that's where you’ll get the most value at the end of the day.”
Matt Story is VISA’s Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships & Advocacy - where he leads strategy for marketing partnerships and the company’s approach to uplifting underrepresented audiences through marketing initiatives. Matt has also held senior marketing roles @ Intel, Razorfish, and Publicis “Denuo” a agency’s unique worldwide center of expertise across mobile, collaboration and gaming practices - helping some of the world’s biggest brands “see around the corner” to solve marketing challenges. Matt got his start atP&G as one of the company’s earliest hybrid Digital Marketing Managers + Business Analysts. Matt studied Computer Science & Computer Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, and is also an Investor, Board Member, Podcast Host, Inclusion Advocate, and most importantly, husband and father. In this candid conversation, Matt shares how he’s gained not just experience, but empathy from everything he’s done. You’ll enjoy hearing about how young leaders like Matt doesn’t just seek to understand, but also seeks to see where he can help others on their unique journeys.
“Honestly, if you could describe what you needed to a P&G technologist - it could be done.”
Gordon Brunner, was P&G’s Chief Technology Officer leading the company’s technical community, and even serving on P&G’s Board of Directors. Gordon initially joined the Company's Food Division in 1961 as a Process Engineer, progressing through R&D assignments with increasing responsibility and experience across food, laundry and cleaning. His work directly impacted many of P&G’s Billion Dollar brands. In 1976 Gordon became head of all European R&D operations, and returned to the US soon becoming Senior Vice President of global R&D. Gordon led internal venture programs responsible for new products like Swiffer, Dryel, and Febreze, and growing P&G's life science and healthcare business. Gordon was elected to the company Board in 1991, and in 1995, he accepted the U.S. Medal of Technology on behalf of P&G from President Bill Clinton. In 1999 Gordon became P&G’s Chief Technology Officer.
A native of Des Plaines, Illinois, Gordon studied Biochemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin, and got his MBA from Xavier University. Since retiring - Gordon has remained quite busy leading ventures across academic, philanthropic and professional organizations - and ever the scientist/tinkerer - remaining very technically active in some of this passionate pursuits of golf, cooking, and fermentation.
You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about the importance of products, people, and thinking big - but also how this cutting edge work doesn’t matter if it’s divorced from business realities and consumer context. For Gordon, the power of people is paramount - you’ll appreciate his candor and perspective on the rich history of the company where he was such a big part.
“Entrepreneurship is high risk, high reward - the ability to solve problems others haven’t been able to figure out.”
Kristi Zuhlke is Founder and former CEO of KnowledgeHound, a Chicago-based startup with a mission to build the largest database of consumer data in the world. Since founding her company 6+ years ago, Kristi has raised $5 million in funding with Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Knowledge Hound is actually Kristi’s third startup venture. Before founding Knowledge Hound, Kristi launched and quickly sold her second business, a smartphone app company, and she started her first business while in college, revealing her to be an entrepreneur at heart. Along the way, Kristi worked at Procter & Gamble for 6 years in the CMK market research function, serving on brands like Gillette and Always. Kristi studied at Xavier University, and is now also a wife and mother of two kids and a loving Labrador. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation with another accomplished Alumni entrepreneur, where Kristi shares how she came to the decision to leave Corporate America, and how entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily for everyone.
“Overcome inhibition and introversion. Get prepared, but don't get intimidated by roles, personal equities, or styles.”
Julio Nemeth is Procter & Gamble’s Chief Product Supply Officer, where he leads P&G’s global product supply organization, including procurement, engineering, manufacturing, and more. Julio joined P&G in 1990 as a site engineer for the Beauty business in Brazil and throughout his career has worked in engineering, plant and business operations, and product supply. Julio has led and supported P&G businesses around the world, facilitated by his fluency in four languages. In 2015, Julio was elected President, Global Business Services. Outside of P&G, Julio recently joined the Board of Directors of The Boston Beer Company, Inc. Julio received his bachelor of science in Naval Engineering from the University of Buenos Aires and his MBA from FGV in Brazil.
What’s unique about this conversation is that Julio is a current executive P&G and was able to give us a peak behind the curtain on what the company is doing in product supply, including how they managed to increase production with fewer staff during the pandemic AND why they’re partnering with EY to license that methodology. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that focuses on creating ownership, continuous improvement, and lessons learned during Julio’s 30+ year continuing career at P&G.
“Connecting diversity, equity, inclusion and engagement to the business allows everybody to see themselves playing a role.”
Kevin Clayton is Cleveland Cavaliers VP of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement. Kevin leads the diversity, inclusion and engagement strategies, business imperatives which affect all areas of the team’s business and basketball operations. Prior to joining the Cavs, Kevin held leadership roles with Bon Secours Mercy Health, the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Tennis Association, Russell Corporation, and spend 10 years in sales and marketing at Procter & Gamble. Kevin even also ran a successful consulting business for more than a decade. Kevin grew up in Cleveland, OH, and attended North Carolina Central University and Wilmington College. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about Kevin’s lived experiences, how he views the competitive advantages of driving diversity, equity, and inclusion - not just as a human issue, but a business driver.
“Be decisive and provide certainty - to make people feel secure in uncertain times.”
Sylvia Dávila is Danone’s Regional President for Latin America - where she runs the commercial operations for one of the company’s fastest growing regions. Prior to Danone, Sylvia spent 12 years in marketing at Mars, ultimately becoming the global CMO of Mars Food. Sylvia spent 12 years rising through the ranks at P&G Latin America, and actually got her start at McDonald’s while in college. Sylvia studied at Unitec Mexico, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and Harvard Business School.
You’ll enjoy our candid conversation about speaking up, often as the only woman leader in the room, and how she has had to make some big decisions - sometimes under trying circumstances. Ultimately for Sylvia making - and communicating - decisions clearly is the only way to make progress, especially in today’s increasingly challenging times.
“To lead others effectively, you have to learn how to lead yourself effectively.”
Jim Taylor serves as President of Arby’s, the second-largest sandwich restaurant brand in the world
with more than 3,500 restaurants across eight countries. Jim previously served as Arbys’ CMO, where he led all R&D, product innovation, brand marketing and media. Jim also served as Arby’s SVP of Brand Advertising and Activation, as well as SVP of Product Development and Innovation. Prior to his 7+ years at Arby’s, Jim spent 4 years at Darden, parent company of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and more - where he rose through roles in Strategy, Innovation, and Marketing. And of course, Jim began his career at P&G, where over 15 years, he rose through the ranks of Finance and Marketing in Oral Care, Male Grooming, and Digestive Wellness. Jim is an alum of the University of Illinois and Stanford University, and serves on the board of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business. You’ll enjoy this really fun, candid conversation about building teams, shepherding innovation, recognizing blind spots, and leading effectively.
“We’re in a unique moment where we need to dream big about how things should work - where everybody wins and can take part”
Lisa Gevelber is Google’s Chief Marketing Officer for the Americas - leading Marketing for flagship Google products like Search, Maps, Ads & Commerce, YouTube, Play, Chromebooks and Android. In 2017, Lisa founded Grow with Google, Google’s $1 Billion commitment to ensure the opportunities created by technology are available to everyone - which has helped more 6 million Americans grow their skills, careers, and businesses. Under her leadership, Grow with Google launched Google Career Certificates, which provide onramps to in-demand, high paying jobs for people without college degrees. These certificates have provided significant upward mobility to tens of thousands and counting. Lisa also leads Google for Startups, which levels the playing field for entrepreneurs globally by supporting underrepresented founders.
Prior to joining Google in 2010, Lisa spent nine years in senior management roles @ Intuit, as well as leading at startups and nonprofits. And of course, Lisa got her start at P&G in brand management where over 6 years she led a $400 million portfolio of brands. Lisa serves on the Council for Foreign Relations, is an inventor on 6 patents, and holds a degree from the University of Michigan. Lisa also is a proud mom of two girls and lives in the Bay Area with her family, where she’s an avid hiker and passionate world traveler. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about making an impact with the work you do and how we can face the big big challenges in our economy when it comes to equity and equality - in and outside of our jobs, to work together to ensure everybody wins
“Let's be wrong sooner because we'll learn from it - move on and take on challenges in a very different way.”
Jay Sethi is the CMO of Diageo Beer Company and Senior Vice President of Diageo’s Convenience Category. In addition to leading and executing for three of Diageo’s business units, Jay has a strong passion for inclusion and diversity and was instrumental in creating the “Love Wins” campaign for the Smirnoff brand in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) celebrating love and acceptance. Prior to Diageo, Jay worked at Procter & Gamble as the Director of North America COVERGIRL, returning the brand to growth through new and exciting partnerships, including the NFL and The Hunger Games movie franchise. Jay is known as an innovative marketer and has received numerous awards, including a “40 under 40” Marketing Leadership Award from Advertising Age. Jay graduated from The University of Chicago and previously worked in the world of Chicago politics with roles in the U.S. Senate and top political campaigns. Jay is fluent in Spanish and is proudly multicultural as a Mexican and Indian American. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about how to be more thoughtful - and intentional about using your skillset to have an impact in and beyond work, because there are many actionable steps anyone can take to be more open and inclusive in business, and life.
“This is a time when courage is required - leading with integrity, humility, clarity, and unity - and doing what’s right.”
Teri List is A 35-year finance veteran. She’s currently a Board Director @ Microsoft, Double Verify, and Danaher Corp - a Life Sciences company. Teri’s also the Former EVP & Chief Financial Officer for GAP, Inc - where she oversaw the finance, real estate and IT orgs. Teri held similar CFO roles at Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Kraft Foods - after spending nearly 20 years @ P&G, ultimately advancing to SVP of Finance & Treasurer. But unlike many P&G Alumni Execs, Teri actually got her start @ Deloitte & Touche, where she spent 9+ years providing financial counsel to large multinationals. Teri received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northern Michigan University and is a certified public accountant. In a candid conversation about courage - Teri shares how to think about not just how it relates to your career, but yourself. You’ll enjoy hearing about Teri’s passion for people - and how she’s committed to helping diverse teams thrive, and how leaders need to be thinking not just about short-term wins, but long term decisions.
“We’re going to need leaders with the aptitude, flexibility and agility to face challenges we don’t know exist yet.”
Tom Kuhn is the Vice President, Marketing for The PGA Tour, where he is responsible for the lead marketing and media strategy for their global portfolio of professional golf brands. Prior to his time at The Tour, Tom spent 16 years at Procter & Gamble in a variety of roles, including brand management on Vicks, Metamucil, and Align. Tom started his career in IT, working across Manufacturing, Marketing, and Research & Development. Tom earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University, his MBA from Georgia Institute of Technology, and is married with three children in Ponte Verda Beach, FL. In a candid conversation about balancing what you think you want with adapting to the moment, you’ll enjoy hearing his authentic takes on his life and career - in a world that is constantly changing.
“Creating greater personal connections - really extending your heart - makes a richer, more human leader ”
Remi Kent is 3M’s SVP and Global Chief Marketing Officer for the 3M Consumer Business Group, responsible for delivering profitable growth for their most iconic brands like Post-it, Scotch, Scotch-Brite, Command, and many more. Having risen through 3M’s senior ranks for 8 years, Remi’s strategy, discipline, and innovation have helped solve complex business challenges, and her work to launch Scotch Flex & Seal won Time Magazine’s Best Inventions Award. During her 12-year career at P&G, Remi worked on Target’s shopper marketing team, in Beauty, Mass, and Prestige, as well as the global Skincare business. Wherever she goes, Remi cultivates diverse, high performance teams and has taken her leadership skills into the community, sitting on the board of the YWCA of Minneapolis and being a founding member of the Black Executive CMO Alliance. She is a focused mother of a teenager and is also participating in various actions to help dismantle racism. You’ll enjoy a candid conversation where Remi shares the obstacles so many of us face - but often do not voice, and understand the greater importance of creating personal connections and psychological safety within teams - now more than ever.
“I'm an ideas person, but learning to say no is important. People appreciate it.”
Jim Stengel was P&G Global Marketing Officer from 2001 - 2008 - was instrumental in putting brand purpose on the map - after rising through the ranks of brand management in the food, beauty, and baby care divisions around the world. Today, as the President of The Jim Stengel Company - a think tank and consultancy with a mission to rethink business, branding, and life - Jim now works with brands across many industries. He’s the author of 2 books: “Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies,” “Unleashing the Innovators: How Mature Companies Find New Life with Startups” and has taught at UCLA and Kellogg Northwestern. Jim actually go his start working for Time, Inc, and studied at Franklin & Marshall College, and received his MBA from Penn State University. You’ll really enjoy this candid conversation with Jim about the importance of purpose, self awareness, and making the space to learn, ideate and be inspired.
“Create room for different voices around the table - to remove unconscious bias even among allies of equality.”
Sylvie Moreau, is Coty’s former President of Professional Beauty, where she ran a $1.8 Billion portfolio with brands like Wella, OPI, and ghd - where she recently successfully led Wella to once again becoming an independent business. Sylvie’s a beauty business veteran having spent twenty-two years with P&G working in roles at the global and local level - on brands like Pantene, Olay, Ariel, and of course Wella. Syvlie is based in Europe, with global experience - and with an MBA from ESSEC + Masters in International Business from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in Norway. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about Sylvie’s experiences across cultures, and as a female leader - especially the approach she had to take as she approached more senior leadership levels - where there always weren’t as many female voices in the room. You’ll also hear perspective about finding your place professionally - how it’s important to make business personal - at every level, with stakeholders like your customers, your investors, and most of all your team.
“The act of creation will transform you completely - even if it doesn’t achieve success.”
Karan Bajaj is the CEO & Founder of WhiteHat Junior - and the first of many Alumni leader that is an “accomplished entrepreneur” - going beyond the “big brand” path to success - where there are many equally valuable learnings. Karan leads WhiteHat Junior, which is a leading edtech and coding platform for kids - which he founded 2 years ago - and was sold to Byju’s for $300 Million after just 18 months. Karan was previously the CEO of Discovery Networks in South Asia - overseeing popular channels like the Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, and Discovery Kids. Karan was a senior marketing director over Kraft’s $3 Billion Dollar global gum business, and a Management Consultant for the Boston Consulting Group. Karan got his start at P&G, where he spent 6 years on Ariel across Southeast Asia and Herbal Essences in the US
Karan’s been awarded to AdAge’s 40 Under 40, has hiked every tough mountain from Kilimanjaro to Dianali, and also a best-selling fiction author of books like Keep Off the Grass, Johnny Gone Down, and the Yoga of Max’s Discontent. He’s a yoga practitioner and teacher, as well as a husband and a father of two. You’ll enjoy this conversation with an accomplished Alumni entrepreneur - about the act of creation, and the perseverance to do so...
“Listen for what you’re really good at - and embrace your superpower.”
Amanda Clark is Chief Development Officer at Papa John’s International, where she leads the company’s strategy to continue expanding its restaurant footprint in North America and internationally. Prior to Papa John’s, Amanda was Executive Vice President of the Restaurant Experience at Taco Bell where she reinvented the customer experience across 7,000 restaurants by bringing together marketing, technology, architecture and design, and construction to create a unified vision. During her seven years at Taco Bell, she served on numerous other leadership roles, including SVP North America Development and General Manager for Taco Bell Canada. Amanda began her career at P&G, where she spent nearly 12 years working on some of the company’s biggest brands like Olay, Pampers and Oral-B. Amanda graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Theater Studies. In this candid conversation about being your best self, Amanda talks about the importance of finding what you’re good at - and how that might not always be the path you think you were meant to be on. You’ll enjoy hearing Amanda’s perspective on what it takes to intentionally build a diverse and inclusive team, and how you sometimes in the face of organization inertia - you have to be willing to push back to move forward.
“You sometimes have to go slow to go fast. When chaos ensues, take a step back to think strategically.”
Brian McNamara is CEO of GSK Consumer Healthcare - a role he’s held since 2016 - leading a portfolio of some of the world’s most trusted brands in wellness, oral health, nutrition, and skin health - including Sensodyne, Voltaren and Panadol. Previously, Brian was GSK Consumer Healthcare’s Head of Europe and Americas, following the creation of a joint venture between GSK and Novartis, which he spearheaded as head of Novartis’s OTC division. Brian joined Novartis in 2004 as Senior Vice President of the North America OTC business, and of course, began his career at Procter & Gamble.
Brian is a Board Member of the World Self-Medication Industry Association (WSMI) and the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF). He’s also previously served on Boards for the Economic Affairs Committee, Association for Europe Self-Medication Association (AESGP) and Board Member and Vice Chairman, Consumer Health Products Association (CHPA). Brian studied Electrical Engineering from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and received his MBA in Finance from University of Cincinnati. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about being open to learning, committing to people, focusing on impact, and having the courage it takes to do what’s needed - while staying humble along the way.
“Stay above the line - take ownership of your choices, and control what you can control.”
Noel Geoffroy is Sanofi’s North America Head of Consumer Healthcare Business - responsible for commercial operations for Sanofi’s portfolio of consumer healthcare brands including Allegra®, Icy Hot®, Gold Bond® and Ducolax®. Noel joined Sanofi in January 2019 from Kellogg’s where she rose through the ranks to President of US Frozen Foods - taking an underperforming business and growing it to the fastest-growing division globally. Noel also held key leadership positions at the H.J. Heinz Co, and started her career at P&G on marketing roles on many leading brands.
Noel studied language and international business at Clemson University, received her MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and was a Fulbright Scholar. An accomplished consumer products executive recognized for her commitment to business growth, capability-building, and cultural innovation. You’ll enjoy this fun, candid conversation across topics ranging from overcoming imposter syndrome, the band Journey, and the importance of executive coaching.
“Sports and basketball transcends globally - teaching hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and respect.”
Mark Tatum is the NBA’s Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer - a position he’s held since 2014. Having worked at the NBA for 20+ years, Mark currently leads the NBA’s business operations, including international efforts, as well as Global Partnerships, Marketing, and the NBA Development League. Prior to joining the NBA, Tatum worked for Major League Baseball, Clorox, and Pepsi - in varying roles in corporate sponsorship, sales, and sports marketing. And of course, Mark got his start at P&G in sales management.
A graduate of Cornell University, Mark received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1998, and has been named to the SportsBusiness Journal’s “50 Most Influential People in Sports Business”, as well as as one of Forbes’ Most Influential Minorities in Sports. Mark sits on the Board of Trustees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Board of Directors for USA Basketball, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Central Board and Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors for The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids., Mark’s also a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a national organization empowering African-American corporate leaders to make significant and impactful global community contributions.
You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about hearing how Mark found his way to the world of sports - a passion area of his - and the importance of action over words.
“Life is about chapters, chances, and choices.”
A.G. Lafley served as P&G’s CEO twice - from 2000-2009 and 2013-2015. In part 2 of a 2-part conversation, we talk about his experience beyond P&G, and his personal take on the past, present, and future.
A.G. started at the company in 1977, after receiving an MBA from Harvard, serving the USNavy in Japan, and getting a BA from Hamilton college. A.G. rose through P&G’s ranks, leading the iconic laundry and cleaning business, leading P&G Asia thru the nineties, and becoming head of P&G’s Beauty business & North America Sales. Upon becoming CEO in 2008, A.G. revitalized the company under the mantra “Consumer is boss” - focusing the company on billion dollar brands and establishing many new brands and categories.
Since leaving P&G, A.G has remained active in the world of business and entrepreneurship, serving on President Obama's Jobs Council, Chairing the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), and serving on the boards of Dell, GE, Legendary Entertainment and Snapchat. AIG has received numerous honors, including an Edison Achievement Award. In 2013, A.G. co-wrote the book “Playing to Win” - which continues to define his passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and what’s next...
“Be the change you want to see - and make things better.”
A.G. Lafley served as P&G’s CEO twice - from 2000-2009 and 2013-2015. In part 1 of a 2-part conversation, we learn about his early life and career at P&G - and his take on being an “Inside-Outsider leader.”
A.G. started at the company in 1977, after receiving an MBA from Harvard, serving the US Navy in Japan, and getting a BA from Hamilton college. A.G rose through P&G’s ranks, leading the iconic laundry and cleaning business, leading P&G Asia thru the nineties, and becoming head of P&G’s Beauty business & North America Sales. Upon becoming CEO in 2008, A.G. revitalized the company under the mantra “Consumer is boss” - focusing the company on billion dollar brands and establishing many new brands and categories.
Since leaving P&G, A.G has remained active in the world of business and entrepreneurship, serving on President Obama's Jobs Council, Chairing the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), and serving on the boards of Dell, GE, Legendary Entertainment and Snapchat. AIG has received numerous honors, including an Edison Achievement Award. In 2013, A.G. co-wrote the book “Playing to Win” - which continues to define his passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and what’s next..
“People are the driving force that bring the brand to life...”To mark our first year of amazing conversations with so many P&G Alumni Leaders - we take a quick (much needed) break to reflect, and share a preview of WHO's coming next. You’ll hear the voices of future guests from the NBA, Sanofi, Coty, the PGA, the Gap, Visa, Google, Diageo, Papa John’s, Chipotle, accomplished entrepreneurs, and many more of P&G’s biggest leaders from around the world. We can’t wait for you to hear what’s next, so be sure to leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app, and share Learnings from Leaders with all your friends - whether or not they worked at P&G :)
“If you have a compelling mission, you can really mobilize and galvanize the community.”
Dian Alyan founded the GiveLight Foundation (GiveLight.org) after the 2004 tsunami, where she lost many loved ones. Dian was inspired to provide for children going through similar devastation around the world. GiveLight is a non-profit creating high quality homes and education for global orphans. What began as one home for 50 children has now expanded to support over 1,000 orphans in 11 countries globally — with a goal of housing 10,000 children in response to natural disasters, poverty, and war. GiveLight has responded to crises in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Morocco.
Prior to founding Givelight - Dian spent a decade as the Outreach Director for the Muslim Community Association in the San Francisco bay area. And Dian got her start at P&G in brand management in beauty and healthcare brands across Asia. Dian’s work with GiveLight has garnered awards and engagements from Fortune 500s + prominent universities, and has been featured in Newsweek, the Huffington Post, and many other media outlets. She lives in the San Francisco bay area, a mother of two - but she considers all children GiveLight reaches as a part of her family. Learn more about how YOU can help at GiveLight.org
“Be intellectually honest in any decision - otherwise you only see the answer that you want to see.”
Charlotte Otto served as P&G’s Global External Relations Officer for thirteen years, and later as Senior Corporate Advisor to PR industry leader Weber Shandwick for six years. At P&G - Charlotte led the company's external relations activities worldwide - including media relations, employee + shareholder communications, government +community relations, and corporate contributions. Charlotte led a 33 year career at P&G, rising through the ranks of Brand Management and Corporate Comms, and was the trusted counselor to five P&G CEOs. In fact, Charlotte was P&G’s first female corporate officer. Charlotte has received numerous industry accolades - including being named Woman of the Year AND Corporate Woman of the Year by the Cincinnati Enquirer, as well as receiving the Matrix Award for Public Relations, and the prestigious Paladin award. Charlotte’s a proud Purdue Alum, where she received her Bachelors and Masters — and she even studied at the Culinary Institute of America. In a great conversation about intention - and serendipity - you’ll learn about the power of embracing a path never imagined, and removing our own blinders to be truly intellectually honest and objective about whatever situations we may face.
“Take greatest pride in the challenges you face, and being able to overcome them.”
Jorge Mesquita is Johnson & Johnson’s former Executive Vice President, and Worldwide Chairman - where he served since 2014. At Procter & Gamble, Jorge spent a 29-year career where he was recognized for the reinvention of major brands such as Tide, Swiffer, Febreze, Downy and others. Jorge spent his first 15 years at P&G working in various capacities across Latin America including roles in Oral Care and Beauty. Jorge has also served on several professional and community boards including the Cincinnati Opera Association Board of Trustees, Mondelez, and CADCA. Jorge is a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology where he studied Chemical Engineering, but was born in Mozambique, in southeastern Africa. For Jorge, the most vital leadership traits are self-confidence and humility. You’ll hear his stories and insights from a distinguished career - where the most valuable lessons learned come not just from achieving success, but also confronting failure - and overcoming it.
“Reframe the competition - to yourself - to fully achieve what you’re meant to achieve.”
Michelle Crossan is Samsung Electronics America’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Innovation and Transformation at, where she leads overall corporate strategy, innovation, transformation, and new business incubation. Prior to Samsung, she also served as CMO for luxury mobile brand Vertu. Michelle got her start at Procter & Gamble, starting as a systems analyst, and working on brands like Olay and Anna Sui before becoming the Brand Leader for P&G Prestige. She’s a graduate from University of Strathclyde Business School, and is married with two children in New Jersey. Having worked across business cultures, geographies, and industries - Michelle’s approach is an intentional and thoughtful one. In our candid conversation, she also shares what leaders can do to strengthen and encourage their team amidst today’s current challenges.
“Dharma is doing what must be done. Don’t worry about credit - you’ll be happier and your work better.”
Gurcharan Das is known as “the godfather of P&G India” - the former chairman and managing director of Procter & Gamble India. He also served as VP managing director of worldwide strategic planning for P&G’s Health & Beauty business. Schooled in the US, Gurcharan returned to join Richardson Vicks India - rising from a trainee to senior assignments in the US + Mexico, and becoming RV’s India CEO - turning the company around from bankruptcy, and shepherding its acquisition and expansion by P&G. Now full-time scholar and writer, Gurcharan’s published numerous novels, plays, and articles, and has spoken at Harvard, Berkely, and Oxford. His book “The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma” is taught at Harvard Business School and a worthy read (https://bit.ly/3qeKqRi). You’ll enjoy hearing not just Gurchuran’s tales of working in rising India, but also his unique global perspective on politics and race, and how the Indian concept of Dharma can apply to work - and the world.
“We are all intersectional - uniqueness is our greatest gift. Empathy makes you a better leader.”
Shelly McNamara is P&G’s Chief Equality & Inclusion Officer, where she’s responsible for shaping culture, policies, and leadership to promote greater diversity. Shelly’s also an avid storyteller, speaker and writer — her new book No Blanks, No Pauses - weaves her life story with reflections and poetry. Shelly got her start in Sales, and spent 25+ years rising through P&G’s HR ranks, ultimately rising to the level of Executive Vice President - where she worked on some of the company's largest businesses with brand portfolios ranging from $4B to $35B, working on employee populations exceeding 25,000. Shelly’s committed to enabling employees of every background to bring their full selves to work. - an active member of P&G’s Corporate Women’s Leadership Team, and she’s led the expansion of LGBTQ+ employee groups around the globe.
Shelly shares many stories from her personal and professional life - as a mother and “out” female executive. Through her writing - and poetry - she’s been able to process and persevere through many moments of inclusions - and exclusion. Core to Shelly’s every day work is to have people think more about our shared humanity - because ultimately, that’s where true understanding comes from - to tackle the issues we must all face together.
“ 'Yes, and...' is a kind of courage. Only failure allows us to begin again more intelligently.”
Emily Chang, CEO of McCann Worldgroup China. Emily’s a seasoned marketer with 20 years of experience across the US and China. At Starbucks she was the SVP of Marketing, and CMO of Starbucks China. She was the Chief Commercial Officer at Intercontinental Hotels Group, and APPLE’S head of Asia retail marketing. Emily got her start at P&G, spending 11 years working across multiple business units. Emily’s spoken at conferences around the world - including Fortune Most Powerful Women’s Summit, C2 in Montréal, and has delivered three TEDx talks. Emily’s also the author of the book “The Spare Room: Define Your Social Legacy to Live a More Intentional Life and Lead with Authentic Purpose.” Emily lives with her husband and daughter, and over the years, has shared her spare room with sixteen young people, five dogs, one turtle, one guinea pig, and 129 snails. You can learn more about Emily’s work at social-legacy.com. In our candid conversation, Emily shares how her immigrant upbringing, curiosity and willingness to take risks has led her her professional career, and personal purpose.
“The one thing you can’t teach in a job to be successful has to come from within - desire."
James Michael Lafferty is the CEO of Fine Hygienic Holding - a leading CPG company across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and USA - as well as an accomplished writer, coach, and athlete. Jim is an internationally-tenured leader whose career spans 3 decades and 5 continents. Jim served as CEO of British American Tobacco in the Philippines and Coca-Cola in Nigeria. He led a distinguished 24-year career at P&G, leading the company in both the Philippines and Poland, rising through the ranks in senior roles across Western Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. Beyond being a dedicated husband and father of 5, Jim is also an accomplished coach and athlete - serving as a Coach of the Philippines Olympic Athletics team at the 2016 Rio Games, having run 30+ marathons, and was the 2017 Philippines National Champion in Powerlifting. Jim’s consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies, and his many talks and lessons have inspired brand managers around the world. He currently lives in the United Arab Emirates.
“Your value will only be known after you have moved on. So lay good foundations for those who come after you.”
Mohan never imagined the career he would lead - working for P&G across 3 continents over 30 years. Growing up in India, he studied Mechanical Engineering, and got a Masters in Technology from @ IIT. He then got his Master in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii and an MBA from Columbia University. After a chance interview with a P&G executive in NYC, Mohan began his P&G career in Geneva, rising through the ranks to build the business - and organizations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He expanded brands in the Middle East, doubled the business in Ireland, and started operations in Egypt, and Portugal. Mohan He briefly went on to frozen foods giant Findus as General Manager of the UK and Ireland. You’ll enjoy hearing this passionate conversation on stories from a different era, rooted in foundational purpose, value and principles still applicable today - wherever you’re working.
Mohan is now mentoring the next generation of leaders - serving an Executive-in-Residence at the London School of Business and other leading business Schools. He also serves as a coach for CEOs in the UK + India, and was one of the earliest Board members of the P&G Alumni Network and the P&G Alumni Foundation. Now in London, Mohan is a proud father to 2 adult daughters in the UK + the US
“You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once. In the long view, it all balances out.”
Tiana Conley is Kellogg’s VP of Global Cereal where she is responsible for the $6 billion flagship portfolio with treasured brands such as Special K, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops and Corn Flakes. Prior to joining Kellogg, she was Beam Suntory’s Marketing Director of global tequila, and held marketing roles at Kimberly Clark. At P&G , and held a variety of marketing roles at Kimberly-Clark. At P&G Tiana rose through the ranks of brand management on global skincare and Olay, and got her start as a senior R&D Engineer on Tide. She received Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois and her MBA from Xavier University. Tiana is based in Chicago and is mother of two children, Griffin and Ava. In a candid conversation on work and life - Tiana addresses head on the myth of work-life balance, and shares great perspective on making the right personal decisions in the context of a career.
"It's always easier to make it through something when you're doing it together."
Tarang Amin is CEO & Chairman of e.l.f. Beauty, the parent company to e.l.f. Cosmetics, WƎLL PEOPLE, and Keys Soulcare - a lifestyle beauty brand created with Alicia Keys. Having led e.l.f. Beauty since 2014 - Tarang has 25+ years of experience building brands, leading innovation, and assembling high-performance teams. Previously, Tarang served as President & CEO of Schiff Nutrition - growing it from $190 million to $1.5 billion. Tarang also served as VP of Clorox’s $1.7 billion Litter, Food and Charcoal businesses. And of course, Tarang began his career at P&G, rising through management positions over 11 years. Tarang earned his BA in international policy and MBA from Duke University. He and his family live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and are committed to giving back. In a conversation about the power of people, and giving back to those around you, you’ll enjoy hearing Tarang’s story - starting from a motel on Route 1, and leading him to a career filled with drive, curiosity, and generosity.
“Go where the growth is happening - and the growth of yourself will follow.”
Zena Arnold is Kimberly Clark’s Chief Digital & Marketing Officer, an accomplished executive across CPG and Technology marketing and general management. Zena was previously at Google for nearly seven years - in senior roles as Global Head of Growth for ChromeOS, General Manager for US Chromebooks, and Head of Americas Marketing for Google Play. The first formative decade of her career was at Kellogg’s, and of course Procter & Gamble, where she held brand and portfolio management roles on brands like Olay, Folgers, Pop-Tarts and more. Zena holds a degree in computer science from The Ohio State University. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about owning your career, not having things mapped out, and taking risks into uncomfortable and challenging roles.
Kirk Perry is Google’s President of Brand Solutions - where since 2013, he’s led global teams to enable brand partners to leverage all of Google to reach their consumers wherever they’re engaging. Prior to joining Google Kirk was at P&G for 23 years - in various roles across marketing and general management - including President of Global Family Care, and six years in Asia with assignments in South Korea and Japan. Growing up from humble beginnings, Kirk and his family are also very active in giving back - supporting his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, and personally serving on a # of non-profit boards like the March of Dimes, the Ronald McDonald House, and many more. Kirk’s background and experiences have given him a unique perspective on work and life - and you’ll appreciate hearing about his approach to living a “eulogy led” VS “resume-driven” life.
Najoh Tita-Reid leads Marketing Reinvention at Logitech where she’s reimagining, redefining and reinventing the global marketing function across 120+ countries - reporting to the CEO. Najoh’s worked across in multinational roles across leading brands like Hero, Bayer, and Merck, after having spent 19 years at P&G - rising through the ranks of marketing and sales. Najoh earned an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a BA in English from Spelman College. She also completed the Executive Leadership Program at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Woman’s Executive Leadership Program at Simmons University and the Design Thinking program at the Stanford School of Design. As a member of The Executive Leadership Council, she serves on the International Steering Committee and the Community Service Committee.
As an American who’s been living and working in Europe for more than a few years - Najoh’s currently based in Zurich with her husband and 2 kids. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation from the perspective of an American on the outside looking in - and about creating work/life harmony with feet on both sides of the world.
As we get ready for the year ahead, we reflect on the Learnings from Leaders we’ve had on this P&G Alumni Podcast. In this second “year in review” episode, we revisit our conversations with the NEXT generation of brand leaders - not too far off from many of our current stages of work and life. Beyond reflecting on where we’ve been - we also talked about our current moment - and where things are going. These are Alumni Leaders NOW in the prime of their career at some of the world’s best companies. Check out each guest’s full episode to hear more of the conversation. Featured in this episode...
- Andy Shih: Nike, VP of eCommerce & Direct Stores -
- Julie Eddleman: Google, Global Client Partner
- Antonio Sciuto: Salesforce, Office of the CEO, former Nestlé Waters’ CMO
- Janet Roller: Shutterfly, VP Brand & Audience, former Marriott & Target Design Exec
- Vince Hudson: American Express SVP of Brand, former BET, Samsung, Diageo Exec
- Julie Sutherland: Estée Lauder VP & Commercial Head
- Gustavo Lopez Ghory: Kimberly Clark, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Alexandra Warbasse: Lyft Executive Development
- Charlie Chappel: Hershey’s Head of Media
- Filippo Catalano: Reckitt Benckiser’s CIO, and Nestle’s former CIO
- Tami Hurwitz: Amazon Music Global VP of Marketing, former Microsoft GM
As the year winds down, we reflect on the Learnings from Leaders we’ve had on this P&G Alumni Podcast. In this “year in review” episode, we revisit our conversations with retired industry greats - once at the helm of the world’s greatest companies - many of whom now continue to serve non-profits, NGOs, corporate boards, and even professional sports teams! These leaders were able to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how their purpose values and principles helped them successfully navigate their career journey. Check out each guest’s full episode to hear more of the conversation. Featured in this episode...
- Paul Polman: Unilever former CEO, Co-founder of IMAGINE,
- Cheryl Bachelder: Popeyes former CEO
- Fernando Aguirre: Chiquita Brands former CEO, Professional Baseball Owner
- Meg Whitman: Quibi, eBay & HP former CEO
- Jim McNerney: Boeing & 3M former CEO
- Sara Mathew: Dun & Bradstreet former CEO
As the year winds down, we reflect on the Learnings from Leaders we’ve had on this P&G Alumni Podcast. In this “year in review” episode, we revisit our conversations with CEOs leading some of the biggest and fastest growing brands - who shared their journey to the big chair, and what they’ve learned since. In pretty challenging year - they revealed how their purpose, value and principles succeed at work - and life. Check out each guest’s full episode to hear more of the conversation. Featured in this episode...
- Chip Bergh: Levi Strauss & Co. CEO
- Gina Drosos: Signet Jewelers CEO
- Lisa Baird: National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner
- Jill Beraud: Sh'nnong Beverage Co. CEO & Co-Founder
- Alejandro Bethlen: the Bouqs Co. CEO
- Kris Malkoski: Newell Food Brands CEO
- Benno Dorer: Clorox Chairman & former CEO of
- Bracken Darrell: Logitech CEO
As the year winds down, we reflect on the Learnings from Leaders we’ve had on this P&G Alumni Podcast. In our first “year in review” episode, we revisit our conversations with some of P&G’s great leaders - former CEOs, regional leaders and trailblazers in diversity, equity, and inclusion. And of course, if you want to hear more from any of these leaders, definitely check out each guests full episode. Featured in this episode...
- John Pepper: P&G’s former CEO & Chairman (1995-2002) & Disney former Chairman
- Linda Clement-Holmes: P&G's former Chief Diversity Officer & CIO
- Jorge Montoya: P&G Latin America’s former President; Gap & Kroger Board Director
- Qaisar Shareef: P&G’s former Head of Pakistan & Ukraine
- Ed Artzt: P&G's former CEO & Chairman (1990-1995)
- Ed Riguad: among P&G's first Black senior execs; Founder of the Freedom Center
- Shantanu Khosla: P&G's former Head of India; Crompton Greaves’ Managing Director
- Bob McDonald: P&G former CEO & Chairman (2009-2013); US Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2014-2017)
“Just do the right thing for the customer - don’t caveat it with other things.”
Alejandro Bethlen is the CEO of the Bouqs Company - the leading online floral retailer who’s radically disrupting the $100B global floral industry - where he’s been in the top seat since June 2020. Alejandro’s a veteran of Amazon - where over eight years he held senior roles across six countries with P&L + operational responsibilities. Alejandro got his start at P&G - where he spent seven years across North America and Latin America. Alejandro received his MBA from Rice University, and recently moved back to the US (Los Angeles) with his family. In our candid conversation, Alejandro shares an insider view on not just one, but two of the world’s great companies - with a unique, multicultural, multinational perspective on work and life.
“Leverage the purpose, values, & principles to use data for good.”
Filippo Catalano is the Chief information & Digitization Officer at Reckitt Benckiser - where he’s driving the IT and digital transformation of the consumer giant. Filippo was also recently CIO of another consumer giant - Nestle, where he scaled the company’s efforts in eCommerce, Programmatic and more. Filippo got his start at P&G - spending 16 years in roles across Europe and the US rising through the IT ranks into digital leadership roles.
Listen for a great conversation about the impact of technology not just on business, but society. Filippo’s driven by his purpose, values and principles in all of his work in data - something he calls “data for good” - which becomes ever more important with the immensely power and potential of AI and machine-learning just on the horizon. Born in Italy, Filippo studied Mechanical Engineering at the Politecnico di Torino and received his Masters at the Lund University in Sweden. When he’s not working on innovations or his 20+ vintage Honda motorbikes, he’s spending time with his wife and children.
“Search and reapply for the insights and innovations to build your business.”
Jill Beraud is the CEO and Co-founder of Sh'nnong Beverage company - WHO IS developing plant-based, functional beverages - and SHE also serves on the Board of Directors at Levi Strauss & Co. Jill previously served as CEO of IPPOLITA and has held C-Suite executive marketing roles for multi-billion dollar brands like Victoria’s Secret, PepsiCo, Tiffany’s, and was the CEO of Living Proof. Jill started her marketing career at P&G working on some of the company’s leading food brands, after which she entered management consulting and founded a NYC ad agency working on client brands like Air France, Equinox and Nikon.
Jill graduated from Boston University with a BS in Business Administration, and received her MBA from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, and has been named to Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business.” In this candid conversation, you’ll appreciate hearing about her experiences working across companies both big and small.
“Find what balance means for ALL of your people.”
Tami Hurwitz is Amazon Music’s Global VP of Marketing & Growth - a role she’s been in since 2017, working on campaigns featuring Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Chance the Rapper, Alicia Keys - reaching more than 55 million customers worldwide. Tami also spent 9 years at Microsoft as a General Manager working on digital, demand, and data efforts. Tami got her start at P&G, where she spent 14 years in a broad range of marketing leadership roles - from Coffee, to Club, working across the US, Europe, and even Latin America.
In a great conversation about working across innovative industries like tech and music - Tami shares not just the power of music, but the passion that comes from working on a product that adds so much value to people’s lives - now more than ever.
“Make every decision in your career on the basis of values and principles, and you will be successful.”
Fernando Aguirre is the former CEO of Chiquita Brands International, and currently a Professional Baseball Owner - as CEO of the Erie SeaWolves (AA affiliate for the Detroit Tigers), and Vice-chair of Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Advanced A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs). Fernando also owned a minority position in the Cincinnati Reds for 14 years before divesting in 2019. Fernando got his start at P&G - where he worked for 23+ years - during which he was President of P&G Brazil.
Fernando currently serves on several boards - some of which include CVS Health, Synchrony Financial, and Duke’s Fuqua school of business. He’s previously served on the boards of Aetna, Coca Cola, Levi’s, Univision, and USC’s Marshall School of Business. Fernando’s been active in the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethic, the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, received the NFL's Hispanic Heritage Leadership award in 2011. AND - He was the first Hispanic CEO to participate in CBS’s Undercover Boss. In a spanning conversation of fantastic stories, get ready for some lessons learned across cultures, and around the world.
“Leadership is about doing the right thing - beyond politics - for the purpose and values of the country.”
This election may be the most important of our lifetime, so we hope you’ve made your plan to VOTE. Bob McDonald - former P&G CEO and US Secretary of Veterans Affairs - returns to our podcast to share his unique perspective on service, leadership, people, and values and the choice we are making at this moment in our history.
Beyond being a veteran, Bob’s served Republican and Democratic Presidents. His political engagement is wide, and purpose-driven - always seeking to transcend party politics. Bob currently serves on the Board for the Partnership for Public Service - a nonpartisan source to help presidential administrations of BOTH parties find great people to serve our country, at all levels - for a more effective government. Interested to learn how you can serve your country, visit PresidentialTransition.org
“Work more on things that people haven’t figured out yet."
Charlie Chappell is head of integrated media and communications planning at The Hershey Company, where he is leading the company’s transformation towards a data-driven, people-based approach to media on brands like Reese’s, Hershey’s, Kit Kat, Ice Breakers, Twizzlers and many more. In a great conversation about finding what’s important to each of us at work, Charlie talks about he’s always found his path
Charlie brings a decidedly marketing perspective to media after spending 12 years at Procter & Gamble, working on brands like Pantene, Herbal Essences, Old Spice, Gillette, Secret, Safeway and Camay - across 25 countries including the US, China, Russia, Egypt, and Pakistan - as well as in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Charlie received his MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern, and also studied chemical engineering at Purdue University. He lives just outside of Hershey, Pennsylvania with his wife and four kids.
“The best leaders do what's right by people, not politics"
Shantanu Khosla is Managing Director of Crompton Greaves - one of India’s leading Consumer Electricals companies, where he’s been since 2015. Shantanu was the P&G’s India country lead for P&G India from 2002 to 2015 - where he grew revenue 15x in 13 years - making P&G one of the fastest growing consumer companies in India. And prior to leading P&G India - he led several P&G business units around the globe. Shantanu studied Mechanical Engineering at IIT Mumbai, got his MBA from IIM Calcutta - and strongly believes in a simple, three-pronged mantra, “build the business, foster leaders, and grow sustainability.”
In our candid conversation, you’ll hear Shantanu’s humble approach to leadership - which is not just about not just leading people, but enabling people to do their best work.
“Integrity can be a competitive advantage.”
Ed Artzt served as P&G’s CEO & Chairman from 1990 to 1995 - during which sales grew to $33 billion, and the company grew well above historic averages. Joining in 1953, Ed led growth on brands like Comet, Zest, Charmin, Bounty, and Folgers. Ed has also served on the boards of American Express, Delta Airlines, GTE and Teradyne. He was active in foreign affairs and an influential advocate of world trade, and on President Clinton’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations.
Now splitting his time between Florida & Wyoming, Ed shared his perspectives on the importance of storytelling, and the competitive advantage of integrity.
"Live, Laugh, Love, & Let Go."
Kris Malkoski is the CEO of Newell Food Brands - overseeing operations of brands like Ball, FoodSaver, and Rubbermaid. She’s had more than 30 years of proven leadership across Fortune 500 companies, startups and private equity – like Arc International World Kitchen (Pyrex®, Corelle®, CorningWare), Sears Craftsman, Ubiquity, and of course P&G - where she actually launched the Aleve brand.
Kris serves on the boards of Trustmark Insurance and Fluidmaster, graduated from the University of Nebraska, and has a Six Sigma certification from Villanova University. But most importantly - she’s a proud mom of 3 amazing kids who have grown up into working, accomplished professionals. In this candid conversation on work and life, Kris shares her unique approach to not just making it work, but making it work better.
"Rediscover your passion - find where you need to be."
Gustavo Ghory is the Chief Supply Chain Officer of Kimberly Clark. Previously, Gustavo was Co-founder & Chairman of of SmarterChains - a startup focused on driving greater agile manufacturing globally. Gustavo got his start at P&G as a team manager at a plant in Venezuela, with increasing roles responsibilities globally and regionally - overseeing both manufacturing and supply chain functions - in the US, Latin America, and Europe, eventually becoming Vice President Product Supply Global Manufacturing - focusing on creating “the factory of the future” for P&G.
Gustavo has recently moved back to the US (from Geneva) with his wife and five kids. He’s an avid runner and cyclist. He studied Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas Venezuela, serves on numerous advisory boards, and is a member of the International Society of Business Leaders - collaborating with The World Economic Forum in manufacturing related initiatives.
"There is no bending your principles and values, you either stick by them or you don't.”
Qaisar Shareef spent a 30 year career at Procter & Gamble - where he most recently led the company’s operations in Pakistan - which is actually an organization he helped build for the company many years prior when P&G was first starting business in Pakistan. During his time with the P&G, Qaisar also held country leadership roles for the Ukraine. He’s the author of “When Tribesmen Came Calling: Building an Enduring American Business in Pakistan.” In a candid conversation about living and working out of your comfort zone, Qaisar shares not just his perspective of establishing a viable business in an emerging market, but also about returning home - multiple times - to make an impact on both sides of the world.
Qaisar is based in the Washington DC area where he is an advisory partner to Ward Howell International. He also teaches at George Washington University’s Department of International Business. Qaisar serves on the board of HOPE USA, OPEN DC, and Transparent Hands, a crowdfunding platform helping cover the underprivileged’s health care costs. He’s also on the Executive Committee of US Pakistan Foundation, and is president of Montgomery County Muslim Council. Qaisar has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati.
"In challenging times, if no one has a game plan - you have to create one."
Lisa Baird is the Commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League where she’s helping the organization navigate through unprecedented times. She previously held CMO roles at New York Public Radio and the US Olympic Committee - Where she launched the Team USA brand. She’s also held senior executive roles at the NFL, IBM, GM, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Johnson & Johnson. Lisa got her start at P&G working across brand management in food, beverage and beauty. Lisa’s been named one of the top Business-to-Business Marketers and received the prestigious WISE Woman of the Year Award, among numerous other honoraries. She studied at Penn State University, and lives in Connecticut.
Hear how Lisa - in her first week on the job as a sports league Commissioner - handled the unprecedented shut down of all national sports. In a ranging conversation we learn not just about about creative problem solving, but today’s new skill of work/life survival.
"If you're in a position to improve others’ lives, then that is your duty."
Paul Polman is Unilever’s former CEO (2009-2018), and currently co-founder of IMAGINE, where he is mobilizing businesses to tackle climate change and global inequality. At Unilever, Paul created (and proved) a long-term approach to global problems can also drive business performance. Prior to Unilever, he was Nestle’s CFO & Head of Americas. And Paul got his start at P&G, where he spent 27 years rising through the ranks ultimately leading Europe for P&G.
Paul continues to be active on the world stage, bridging the private/public sectors. Alongside the UN Secretary General, he helped develop the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Paul is chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, The B Team, Saïd Business School and Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact. The Financial Times declared Paul "a standout CEO of the past decade” - as he is a leading proponent that business should be a force for good,
Paul shares how one person - alone or at companies - can challenge the status quo to meaningfully tackle some of the world’s biggest problems. His stories and perspectives will inspire you to be the change you want to see in the world.
"Diversity is a business strategy - it's not an HR program, it's not a nice to have."
Virginia “Gina” Drosos, is the CEO of Signet Jewelers - the world's largest retailer of diamond jewellery - having served on the company’s Board since 2012. Gina was also previously the CEO of Assurex Health - growing the company towards a $410 million acquisition by Myriad Genetics. Gina got her start at P&G, in a 25-year career rising to Group President, Global Beauty Care - leading a $6 billion business with iconic brands like Olay, Old Spice, Secret, and CoverGirl. Gina studied business at the University of Georgia, and received her MBA from The Wharton School, at the University of Pennsylvania. She’s been named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year, one of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business, and many other top awards.
Gina shares how a focus on the small details - in business and with people - often lead to big results. She also reveals some concrete insights on the how diversity is so much more than an HR strategy - it’s a business strategy.
"People are willing to risk a lot to show their support for our freedoms."
Ed Rigaud was the Founder & CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which pays tribute to all efforts to abolish human enslavement and secure freedom for all people. At Procter & Gamble, Ed was P&G’s second-ever Black Vice President - spanning a 36-year career at the company in 1965 - during which he was the R&D Technical Brand Manager who helped create Pringles. Ed was later the first Black co-owner + lead investor of the Cincinnati Reds, as well as CEO of EnovaPremier, and CEO of Legacy Acquisition. Ed has served on numerous company boards, has received appointments from the Governor of Ohio, and a sitting US President. He’s a husband, father, grandfather, accomplished artist and guitar player.
In this candid conversation on race, work, and life - Ed shares his thoughts as a black man growing up in Louisiana, rising through the ranks of corporate America, and the current climate. Ed believes that his number one mission is to help those who have been consistently under-represented to achieve higher levels of freedom…especially in the areas of education, economic empowerment, and inclusion.
"If you always go for something your manager agrees to, then you're likely not bold enough. The magic is turning a no into a yes."
Benno Dorer is the CEO & Chairman of The Clorox Company - a post he’s held since 2014. Benno started at Clorox in 2005 rising through executive roles across Laundry, Home Care, International businesses, and Corporate Strategy. Prior to joining Clorox, Benno spent 14+ years at P&G - in senior marketing positions around the world, including the Glad Products joint venture. He has been the highest-rated US CEO on Glassdoor, among the Bay Area's Most Admired CEOs by the San Francisco Business Times, and was awarded Out & Equal’s CEO of the Year. Benno has a degree in Economics from University of Freiberg, graduate degree in business administration from Saarland University and as a multilingual leader - has worked in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Ohio, and California.
In this candid conversation, Benno shares his philosophies on creating a culture of transparency, ownership and empowerment - as well as his thoughts on the importance of finding joy and meaning in the workplace,
"Some have to carry more weight than others - everybody's got to do their part to try to lighten their load."
Linda Clement-Holmes served as P&G’s Chief Diversity Officer AND P&G’s Chief Information Officer - significantly elevating the company’s efforts and standing in the space of Diversity & Inclusion.
Starting as a systems analyst in 1983, Linda has led a global career as an “executive of firsts” - the first Black female Senior VP, and later President. Linda’s been named one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders, Black Enterprise magazine’s Top Executives, and Working Mother’s “Working Mothers of the Year,” among many other honors. Linda is an active active Board leader among many business and community organizations, is a graduate of Purdue University, and a proud mother of two accomplished sons
In a candid conversation about authenticity and courage, Linda speaks about her personal - and professional - experiences in race, and comments on the unique moment we face today. Linda shares how she works everyday to lighten the load of others, and gets everyone to do their part.
"You’re always running an all-volunteer army - keep your people inspired."
Bracken Darrell is President & CEO of Logitech - a company he joined in 2012 - where he’s been the driver for Logitech’s continued growth and profitability, leading the brand vision and company operations. Prior to joining Logitech, Bracken spent a decade in executive roles @ Whirlpool, Braun, and General Electric - and also worked in brand management at P&G. Prior to receiving his MBA from Harvard, Bracken worked at Arthur Anderson and PepsiCo.
Bracken shares his philosophies on humor and motivation in the workplace. Anyone who’s seen him talk knows he speaks his mind, and is a values-driven, people-motivated leader - something needed now more than ever in the business world. You’ll love the candor of this conversation!
"The exciting part is that every single person right now is living history."
Julie is the VP & Commercial Head of Canada for at Estée Lauder, where she’s been for nearly 6 years. Prior to joining Estee Lauder, she spent 12 years at Procter & Gamble in roles spanning Corporate Finance, Brand Management, and Customer Marketing across Canada. Her multifunctional experience has been a key to her success in developing clear roadmaps that take traditional brands from stagnant to significant growth
Julie discusses how she always knew she’d be in business and from a young age was trying to maximize all that she did. She also shares some life tips that she shares with her kids each night but also with her team as a reminder that we’re all in this together.
“Make lasting changes. What is the one thing you can change that creates the biggest shift?”
Vince Hudson is SVP of Global Brand Strategy and Marketing Operations at American Express. He’s been Chief Brand Officer at BET, and held senior roles at Samsung and Diageo. At P&G, Vince was the VP of P&G Beauty in Asia - after launching the blockbuster brands Crest WhiteStrips and Prilosec OTC, and growing COVERGIRL to be the first $1 Billion cosmetic brand (signing deals with Rihanna, Ellen, Taylor Swift, and Queen Latifah). Vince has been named among Brandweek’s “Marketers of the Next Gen” and AdAge’s “40 Under 40.“ He studied at Dillard University - where he’s now on the Board of Trustees.
In a candid conversation, Vince reveals the three passions that inform everything he does, and shares his approach for making an impact - wherever you work.
"It's all about speed - learning fast and connecting the dots into greater success."
Antonio Sciuto is an SVP in the Office of the CEO at Salesforce.com - the leading cloud-based software company. Antonio is dedicated to inspire and enable the C-Suite to create more personalized customer experiences. Prior to joining Salesforce, Antonio spent eight years at Nestle - as the CMO of Nestle Waters, and before that, leading the entire company’s eCommerce strategies. He also spent 3 years with McKinsey and Company, and of course, got his start at P&G - rising through the sales ranks of Market Strategy & Planning and Customer Business Development.
Antonio shares some great perspective on the idea of generosity in leadership - and the important role mentorship and family have provided a competitive advantage during the course of his career.
"Getting unstuck is about resetting your success parameters to be owned by you."
Alexandra Warbasse leads executive development at Lyft, the popular ride-sharing app. As one of Lyft’s first 100 employees starting in 2013 - she helped launch the company in several major cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit and Houston, - setting up ALL operations across hiring, training, and local demand-gen and partnership efforts. Prior to joining Lyft, Alex was a Consumer Insights Manager for P&G’s Prestige portfolio of brands in NY - like Dolce & Gabbana, Lacoste, and Hugo Boss.
Alex shares her passion for helping people get “unstuck” and live fuller, more meaningful lives. In her professional and professional practice, she speaks to the importance of mindfulness - and meditation - to cultivate more conscious leadership.
Bob McDonald served as the 8th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, under President Barack Obama. He is ALSO the retired chairman, president, and CEO of Procter & Gamble. He’s now Chairman of the Board for RallyPoint - the premiere community US military service members, veterans, their family and supporters. Graduating among the top of his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Bob served in the US Army as a paratrooper and trained as a Ranger. Upon leaving the military, he had a 33-year distinguished career at P&G - with leadership roles on Tide, Canada, and then across Asia - ultimately becoming CEO.
Bob shares stories and lessons throughout his storied career - ranging the battlefield, the board room, state dinners, and the President’s cabinet. Tune in for a great conversation about his principles for team-building and decision-making.
In today’s show of the P&G Alumni podcast, we interview Jorge Montaya, former President of The Procter & Gamble Company’s Global Snacks & Beverage Division, and Procter & Gamble Latin America.
We kickstart this show with Jorge sharing some heart-warming childhood memories. Jorge was born and brought in Peru by a strong and principled mother, a school teacher by profession. His mother, Jorge shares, instilled in him the value of servant leadership and passion for work.
Following in his elder brother’s footsteps, Jorge moved to the US to study mechanical engineering at Berkeley. It was here that Jorge first realized that America was indeed the land of limitless opportunities.
Next, Jorge narrates an interesting anecdote about how he got his MBA. The Organization of American States awarded a scholarship to Jorge for his MBA. Their only condition was that they would like him to go back to Peru and work there for a while. Jorge shares how he kept his end of the promise by indeed working in Peru as a P&G employee.
In the next segment of the show, listeners will be treated to some excellent anecdotes from Jorge’s 30-year long career. Particularly, Jorge shares the many difficulties that he faced while setting up P&G business in Latin America, and how he managed to overcome them.
What does it take to build a dream team…
And how do you protect the integrity of the team?
Currently, Jorge works as a board director, Kroger and Gap Inc.
We wrap up this show with a fun and engaging rapid fire round.
What You Will Learn In This Show:
- Why old-fashioned hard work is the surest way to rise through the corporate ranks
- Biggest challenges of setting up a business in a foreign country, and how to overcome them
- Growing your business without compromising on your ethics and integrity
- And much, much more!
"You win more frequently when others on your team are winning."
Sara Mathew is former CEO of Dun & Bradstreet, and on the Boards of Campbell’s, Freddie Mac, Avon, and Shire. Growing up in India - Sara moved to the US, started at P&G as a clerk, and rose to a senior exec. Sara became Dun & Bradstreet’s CFO in 2001, SVP of International in 2005, COO in 2007, and ultimately CEO from 2010-2013. Sara transformed D&B to an innovative digital enterprise, introducing Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and accelerating Big Data Analytics. The Financial Times named her one of the Top 50 Women in World Business.
Sara discusses that while life creates events you cannot control, what matters most is how you choose to respond. Sara also candidly shares her personal leadership journey - from manager to leader. By shifting from winning at all costs, to understanding that great leaders deliver BOTH great results and happy people - Sara developed an unbeatable team.
"Success doesn't teach you much, but a good failure will set you straight."
Cheryl Bachelder is the former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and serves on the boards of Chick-fil-A, US Foods, and Pier 1. During a decade leading Popeye’s, Cheryl revitalized Popeyes into one of America’s top fast-food brands - with more than 10 straight years of growth. She previously held executive-level positions at Domino's and KFC. Cheryl started her career in a number of brand management positions at Nabisco, Gillette, and of course P&G.
Cheryl shares her thoughts on servant leadership - which she literally wrote a book on: “Dare to Serve: How To Drive Superior Results While Serving Others.” Through deeply personal stories of work and family - Cheryl shares stories not just about winning - but the importance of learning from failures.
Learn more:
https://www.pgalums.com/
“It’s better to make the harder right, VS the easier wrong.”
Chip Bergh is President & CEO of Levi Strauss & Company. Chip got his start in the United States Army as a paratrooper - rising to the rank of Captain. He then spent 28-years at P&G leading many of the company’s most iconic brands - from growing Folgers and launching Swiffer. By the early 2000s, Chip led much of P&G’s Asia business, and after P&G’s 2005 Gillette acquisition, Chip ran all of P&G’s male grooming brands - including the famed relaunch of Old Spice.
Since becoming Levi’s CEO in 2011, Chip has led the turnaround of one of America’s oldest - and most iconic - brands.
Chip shares stories of not just his own style of values-driven leadership, but also how he’s continued - through humility and humor - Levi’s tradition of social activism.
“Bigger is not always better, but you can thrive with a small group of people around you in big places.”
Andy Shih is Nike’s VP of Direct Stores and Digital Commerce for the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Andy previously spent 5 years in Shanghai where he led Nike’s eCommerce efforts across greater China. Before joining Nike, Andy was one of P&G’s earliest digital marketers - working across brands like Pantene, Clairol, Olay, Cover Girl, Secret, Head & Shoulders, and more - ultimately leading programs in digital marketing, business analytics, and commercial innovation. Andy also happens to be a graduate of The Ohio State University.
In this candid conversation - you’ll hear from Andy how he grew in big places - universities, companies, and even countries like China - making them smaller with what matters most: great people.
Learn more:
https://www.pgalums.com/
“As leaders, it’s more about the outcome and the conversations, versus the hours that you’re working.”
Janet Roller is the VP of Brand & Audience of Shutterfly. For 2 decades, Janet has lived many professional lives across Marriott, Target, and of course, P&G. She began her P&G career in babycare new product development, then joined Target for 12 years - spanning design and sales. Most recently, Janet Roller was the VP of CX Innovation with Marriott International, focused on the next wave of human-centered travel experiences. Janet also serves as a coach at Stanford’s d.school, leading executives through the design-thinking process.
While Janet’s worked across some of the world’s biggest brands - her success has come from breaking down the boxes of preconceived notions and bringing a “design thinking” approach to ALL of the interactions at home and work.
“How do you change a culture? One conference room at a time.”
Jim McNerney was CEO of both Boeing and 3M, before which he spent 19 years rising across divisions of General Electric (GE). Jim also worked early on at McKinsey and started (of course) at P&G. Jim has served on the Boards of P&G, Boeing, IBM, and was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and the President’s Export Council.
Through lessons in humility and humor, you’ll learn how Jim’s been an agent of cultural change and business results.
Learn more: https://www.pgalums.com/
“To be the first person in a role can actually be a career accelerant.”
Julie Eddleman is Global Client Partner at Google, accelerating partnerships with companies like GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and P&G.
Julie spent 19 years at P&G working on partnerships with the NFL, Olympics, and many of the company’s biggest investments. Julie’s been recognized as an AdAge Media Maven, an LGBT Influential Leader by The Advocate magazine, and Woman of the Year by PowerPlay New York City for her role in mentoring young women and girls. Julie talks about being out at work - and how she’s made choices and relationships during her 25 year business career.
Resources:
Julie’s LinkedIn
the P&G Alumni Network: pgalums.com
“You have to just say what's most important to you, and then...try to live that truth if you can.”
Meg Whitman is the CEO of Quibi, a new video platform of “quick bites” of mobile content.
Meg started her career at P&G in marketing and moved on to Executive level positions at Hasbro, Disney, and Bain before becoming the CEO of eBay (1998-2008), and then HP (2011-2015). Meg talks about making choices, the importance of cultivating relationships, and her experiences as a rising female leader - in business and politics - and how she’s seen the work environment change in her forty-year career.
Learn More About Our Alumni Network:
https://www.pgalums.com/
“What's really important is what you do and how you make people feel.”
John Pepper was the CEO & Chairman of P&G from (1995-2002), Chairman of the Board of the Walt Disney Company (2007-2012), and CEO/Chairman of the National Underground Railroad Museum Freedom Center (1995-2002).
Whether working across the table from Steve Jobs (Apple) and Bob Iger (Disney) or mentoring countless leaders in and out of P&G - John Pepper is one of the greats. You’ll learn about John’s fascinating personal and professional journey, the lessons he learned along the way, and his perspective on the world today.
Access The Extended John Pepper Interview Here: www.pgalums.com/podcast
Learn More About Our Alumni Network:
https://www.pgalums.com/
Did you know that many top leaders in business and beyond got their start at P&G? Did you also know that “Learnings” is not a word? This is “Learnings from Leaders” - the official P&G Alumni Podcast.
Through conversations with leaders from some of the biggest brands - P&G, Nike, Google, Levi’s, Quibi, Dun & Bradstreet, Boeing, Salesforce, and many more - co-hosts Raman Sehgal (Recovering Marketer) and Andrew Tarvin (Humor Engineer) go deeper with the leaders you know, but want to know more about. In this “origin” episode, you’ll hear more about Drew & Raman’s personal P&G Alumni journey, and what (more) to expect from this new weekly podcast by the P&G Alumni Network.
Learn more: www.pgalumns.com