Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

“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 Beverage Company’s Director of Innovation where he’s responsible for strengthening Molson Coors’s innovation capabilities and building the long-term product pipeline. 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.