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What are the biggest changes you’ve seen over that time period?

I’ve seen a lot of major transformations. Let’s take planning. Since I started, the company has gone from spreadsheet planning to high-tech centralised planning. We’ve changed the way we innovate, the way we bring products to market, the speed at which we adapt – pretty much every aspect of business.

Most importantly, we also changed the way we operate and organised ourselves. We’ve changed the role of the supply chain in the company significantly. From just delivering the cases we sell, to becoming an integral part of the strategic thinking of the company, where our influence and decision-making have guided direction and became an essential to deliver shareholder value creation.

I learned something new, challenged my own reality, grew personally

The role supply chain plays in the industry is becoming ever-more important and strategic. For the business, we develop a competitive advantage, be it in the form of a new operating strategy, or the work we do to reset and influence direction in the regulatory aspects of our businesses, or in our obligation in the area of talent development. Supply chain leaders ought to raise to the level and take this historical opportunity to execute in an impeccable way, deliver and enable growth and lead with responsibility, integrity and passion.

We can talk about automation, technology, or anything we want, but ultimately it’s all about people and how they’re empowered to deliver the business purpose, to be a role model to others, and become leaders of character.

Was the corporate culture at P&G a major factor?

Definitely. It’s the primary reason for the ongoing success of P&G and why we are considered a ‘built to last’ organization.

Fundamentally everything we do is based on the principles and values of the organization. it’s almost seen as a joke among peers that you can change almost anything in P&G – products, technologies, locations, whatever you want – but the one thing we will not change, is the set of principles and values upon which we have built this institution; because they are built to last.

I think that’s the strength of P&G, that’s why we keep going, that’s why we are able to pass through bad moments and good moments, but we’re always there offering preferred brands delivering the best products to our consumers. We take pride on touching the life of our consumers and making their life better and easier every day – and that is something that puts a smile in every P&G-er worldwide.

…we have built this institution; because they are built to last.

You’ve mentioned ‘Built to Last’ a couple of times; are you referring to the Jim Collins book that featured P&G?

It’s such a telling book and one I advise everybody in business to read. Look at the statistics on the length and the life of companies, and how many don’t sustain their initial growth. Look at how many family businesses fail in the second or third generation because the founder is no longer around and the original purpose and drive are lost. It’s really sad. I think it’s because those elements of the core that make an institution what they are, become lost.

At P&G we learned how to embed these core values in our culture. The USP of P&G will never change; we might use better language to express it, but the essence remains the same, which I believe is what has kept us going for so many years.

What sort of influence do you think AG Lafley had on the organisation in his two terms as CEO? Did you personally feel that transition when he was at the helm versus when he left?

I definitely felt the influence AG had on us. I’m a AG fan. He’s a great business leader and like everybody he has good points and bad points, but AG has the power of expressing the two or three things we needed to focus on in a very clear and simple way.

How important is that ability to narrow the focus down to the one or two things that are really important?

If we don’t have clarity on where we are going, we can end up anywhere.  So, in that respect AG was crystal clear; if we always focus on our consumers and understanding their needs better than anyone else, we will win.

AG’s contribution to this mindset was huge. In his second term, he came back with his private equity experience and that helped us to be more entrepreneurial and more aggressive in areas we needed to be. Our CEOs are normally very good people, they are very strong leaders, and we also ensure that we never leave anyone behind which is a company strength.

What would you like to be known for from your time at P&G?

That’s a good question – I’m not so interested in being remembered for delivering record sales figure, or particular breakthrough products. I feel good about those things, but I’d really like to be remembered by both my team and my leaders by whether or not I influenced their lives somehow.

Did I leave a platform where people could be successful in the future? Did I leave behind the right capabilities? Did I build confidence in our people that they can deliver more and more? I’d like to be remembered as someone that touched people’s lives in a way that made a positive impact and enabled them to have a better chance to be successful and happy. I like to be remembered for that.

Did I leave a platform where people could be successful in the future?

What single piece of advice from your 35 years of experience would you want to pass on to the next generation of leaders emerging now?

All new talent coming into the industry should spend the few first years of their careers exploring what their passion is. Are you the doer, the developer, or the analyst? What do you enjoy doing? Are you really in the right industry or right organisation, because many times we don’t know.

So, it is important that in the early stage of their career they spend time exploring what passions they have, and once they discover that, they should go for it. Discover the power of authenticity. Discover how much work you need to do to feel comfortable with who you really are and enjoy being that person.

The theory behind that advice, which I am convinced about, is that people perform better and provide the best of themselves if they have discovered their authentic selves. That authentic person will perform better than that person trying to imitate someone else, trying to reflect other leaders or trying to conform to the norm.

I would prefer a person who understands this and works everyday with pride to develop, grow and improve their authentic self. Use role models, coaches and mentors by all means, but the raw person will need to be there forever, and faking it will only last so long.