P&G moves personal care leadership out of Singapore

By Deanna Utroske

- Last updated on GMT

P&G moves personal care leadership out of Singapore

Related tags Brand management Singapore

The company is reverting to its brand-guardian leadership structure, with design oversight for cosmetics and skin care for the IMEA region centralized in Geneva, Switzerland.

The P&G restructuring means that Singapore is now part of the company’s IMEA region, made up principally of India, the Middle East and Africa, explains Byravee Iyer in a campaignasia.com article about the leadership move.

Where and when

Not all brand management will move out of regional positions. “We’ve always had brand managers move to individual markets. P&G is now focused more on global design rather than regional design,” ​a company spokesperson told Iyer.

And, the company’s tactics can vary between brands, the “haircare brand Rejoice for example…will continue to operate out of Singapore,” ​wrote Iyer.

Leadership moves in the region have been underway since June when P&G eliminated the marketing director position companywide and instated a brand director role instead.

Then in July, India’s brand management was moved out of Singapore to the IMEA management center. And, the following month P&G “announced plans to divest, discontinue or merge about 90 to 100 brands around the globe over the next year or two to focus on the top 80 brands,” ​recalls Iyer. 

A worrisome global economy

The company just released its second quarter earnings, which were thoroughly affected by the strength of the US dollar in the global economy. Net sales for P&G decreased 4% for the quarter, according to Andrew McDougall, Deputy Editor for Cosmetics Design​.

“The Beauty, Hair and Personal Care segment was the one to let the side down,”​ McDougall reported.  And, the company may struggle a bit financially in the near future: “The outlook for the year will remain challenging. Foreign exchange will reduce fiscal 2015 sales by 5% and net earnings by 12%, or at least $1.4 billion after tax,” ​said A.G. Lafley, the company’s CEO.

This means P&G will “continue to offset as much of the currency impact as possible through productivity driven cost savings, and is adjusting fiscal year earnings targets accordingly,” explained McDougall​.

Who’s in charge

It may not be Lafley leading the way on those cost-saving initiatives. David Taylor, P&G’s new head of global beauty, is expected to move into the CEO role “once the time is right for Lafley to go,” ​according to a recent Cosmetics Design article on executive moves​ within the company.

The changing shape of leadership at P&G includes Deb Henretta becoming the company’s global president of e-commerce and Patrice Louvet stepping up to be group president of global beauty.

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