Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

“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.