Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

"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.