Procter & Gamble CEO emphasizes worldwide influence and innovation

The Procter & Gamble Company provides many household products that are used worldwide every day, but CEO Bob McDonald said one brand’s success has exceeded the rest — Pampers.

But the 175-year-old company’s global presence is due to more than just diapers.

In a speech at the Kenan-Flagler Business School Monday night, McDonald discussed his company’s worldwide influence and the role of innovation at P&G.

His speech, which was the second in the Dean’s Speaker Series, was tied into UNC’s Water in Our World theme.

The P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water program, which UNC is involved with, has cleaned 5.25 billion liters of water to date.

“I wanted to talk about the growth opportunity ahead of not just this company, but any company around the world,” he said.

McDonald said P&G is well-established in areas such as Asia and the Middle East, but the future is in expanding its presence in sub-Saharan Africa because of the region’s size and growth potential.

He gave the example of doing village-to-village demonstrations of Ariel detergent, which allowed the company to take over the markets there.

Tom Cawley, director of special events at the business school, said the school chose McDonald because of P&G’s big recruiting effort at UNC and because McDonald has spoken at UNC before.
“We’ve heard him speak, and we really like the message,” he said.

David Huh, a Ph.D. candidate in marketing, said he was “amazed” because McDonald was able to condense his many business experiences into a one-hour speech.

“I truly felt that P&G was trying to focus on the customer, and that was at the heart of their strategy,” he said.

McDonald said the company is building many factories in developing countries, but it also has an aspect of social responsibility.

He mentioned some humanitarian efforts that P&G had taken part in, such as educating developing countries on managing menstruation — which helps girls continue their education — and preventing neonatal tetanus.

“To be a globally effective leader, as opposed to in your own country, the number one thing you need to have is empathy,” McDonald said.

Cawley said McDonald demonstrated a great vision of leadership with his emphasis on innovation.
“It just seems like, more so than ever, the person that can innovate can make more money,” he said.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.