Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

“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.