The company announced it will drastically slim its portfolio of brands in August, and now CEO A. G. Lafley has sent round a memo outlining changes to its presidents and other senior managers.
In the memo, Lafley states that the company is beginning to take shape under the new streamlined and focused strategy, before announcing some of the key leadership changes.
“These changes simplify the way we organize and manage the Company. We have fewer business presidents and a flatter structure,” Lafley says.
“We’ve consolidated functions to better support the businesses. As a result, we will have the same or fewer presidents and function leaders as we had in 2001 when sales were $39 billion—less than half our sales today.”
Retirements
The first change announced is that Melanie Healey, Group President North America Selling & Market Operations, who was strongly tipped to succeed Lafley in the role of CEO, will retire at the end of June next year, after 25 years of service.
Healey took over the North American unit in 2009 and is one of the top-ranking women at the Cincinnati-based company. She will be replaced by Carolyn Tastad who has been at P&G since 1983 and held executive positions in P&G’s cosmetics, fine fragrances and global prestige units.
Healey will be joined in retirement in June by Filippo Passerini, Group President Global Business Services and Jorge Uribe, Global Productivity & Organization Transformation Officer. Joanne Crewes, President Global Prestige, will retire at the end of this year.
Appointments
With the departures comes an announcement of new appointments too, with Patrice Louvet, Group President Global Grooming, becoming Group President Global Cosmetics, Prestige and Salon Professional, at the start of the new year.
He will be succeeded in Global Grooming by Charlie Pierce, who is currently Group President Global Oral Care and New Business Creation and Innovation, with Steve Bishop, Group President–Global Feminine and Family Care, taking over from Charlie.
Organizing
A.G. Lafley has spent the last year reorganizing the company into four industry-based units and has since worked to cut costs and sell non-core businesses.
Global baby, feminine and family care is led by Martin Riant; global beauty, led by Deborah Henretta; global health and grooming, headed by David Taylor; and global fabric and home care, overseen by Giovanni Ciserani.