Brynne supports and invests in startups built for the next generation of stewardship, climate awareness, and multi-stakeholder management. With Coburn ventures, she led and advised investments in areas where technology may generate a dramatic shift in an industry. 

In this conversation with P&G Alumni Bob Gilbreath on “The Workaround,” Brynne & Bob compare notes on navigating the information-overloaded moment we’re in and share some useful stories and hacks on how to thrive. In this candid discussion, we discover how we can take advantage of all the information available at our fingertips without falling for the non-wisdom of the crowd (and driving ourselves crazy in the process).

This conversation is from P&G Alum Bob Gilbreath’s podcast & newsletter “The Workaround.” Bob is a repeat startup founder with two exits. Bob’s stories and conversations—from a career in tech startups and corporate innovation—are here to make you think, smile, and discover a shortcut to success or a trap to avoid. You can subscribe at behearty.substack.com

This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Matthew has earned the title of Master Storyteller as a five-time Moth GrandSLAM champion. The Moth is New York City’s iconic storytelling platform (which also has a great podcast) and Matthew has dominated it, winning 52 StorySLAMs around the country.

Matthew also co-founded Speak Up, a storytelling organization that has helped thousands craft more compelling stories. He’s written a number of fiction and nonfiction books—including STORYWORTHY.

Matt’s Homework for Life project is a powerful tool for anyone looking to enrich their daily life through storytelling, one small step at a time. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that might help you find some simple, practical ways to find more meaning and connection in your life,

This conversation is from P&G Alum Sharad Lal’s top podcast “HOW TO LIVE.” For lots more great discussions with Sharad and thought leaders, subscribe to How To Live wherever you get your favorite podcasts or visit howtolive.life 

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Across twenty years at P&G, Bhavesh oversaw billions of dollars in spending as a procurement leader across markets—and he produced the highest-rated TV show of its time China’s Got Talent.

After P&G, Bhavesh joined Firmenich for nine years as the company’s Chief Procurement Officer, spearheading a transformative turnaround, doubling its EBITDA, and solidifying its position as the industry leader. Bhavesh is now a Managing Partner at Synfiny, one of the fastest-growing global advisory firms. Bhavesh is also an early-stage investor and selectively a Board Director, with a recent successful exit from Smart Build Asia and ongoing investments in Brinc, Opinsta, MPOWERD, and Abele Trust, amongst others.

You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on combining intentionality, curiosity, and audacity—and being the luck in others’ lives.

This is part of our Chinese leaders series – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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2025 just started and most of us feel, it will shake old structures even more than the years before because the world is changing more rapidly than we ever have experienced. This year’s conference considers this feeling of uncertainty and will enable all of us to co-create new thinking on how to empower ourselves individually, with our families and friends, in the communities we live, and in the organizations we lead.

We, the P&G alumni community, have a track record of making a difference in the world – individually and collectively. The conference is designed to bring us together and to give us new impulses to be future-proof leaders on all levels.

As we continue to orchestrate the agenda to make it as diverse and enriching as possible, we will share our highlights over the next months. The fireside chat between former P&G CEO David Taylor and young tech start-up founder Daniel Dippold was our highlight in December. Today, we give you insights into the keynote speeches of two already-announced female leaders.

Veronika Rost started her professional career in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble with positions in Germany, France and Switzerland and is now Managing Director of Philip Morris Germany. She will share her experience on how to radically and successfully transform a company’s and consequently a whole industry’s business model to build a resilient and future-proof entity:

1. Hear why the market leader in cigarettes made the bold decision to move away from its traditional and successful products and invent smoke-free alternatives that are potentially less harmful.
2. Learn how the company overcame the resulting internal and external skepticism and even resistance in pursuing this smoke-free future.
3. Understand the ongoing challenges and opportunities in redefining a whole industry and how to regard consumers, include stakeholders and opinionmakers, and modify an organization with the help of strong leadership.

Jutta dos Santos Miquelino, co-CEO of and dos Santos GmbH and author of the inspiring book The Glass Elevator wants to remind us that great leadership is not a crown we wear, but the path we carve through empathy, innovation, and shared growth.

Jutta’s keynote, “Oneness in Leadership: Navigating the 5 Dimensions of Reality,” is set to take us on a journey from personal growth to collective excellence. She will draw from her groundbreaking concept of 5D-Leadership a blueprint for unlocking both individual and collective potential in today’s ever-evolving landscape.

Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect:

1. Harnessing personal growth as the foundation for leadership.
2. Bridging purpose and collaboration for organizational excellence.
3. Fostering innovation through collective intelligence.

Is this great food for thought for you? There is more to come and even food for the body and soul! Inspiration from excellent speakers, panels and break-out sessions, catering during both days and lively dinners on both evenings of the conference are included in one ticket! For 499€ till January 15 or 649€ as of Jan 16 (excluding registration fee) you will have the chance to join an unforgettable experience!

See the full list of speakers on our website. Forward this link to P&G alumni in your personal network and invite them to join and meet you in Berlin! More highlights are being prepared for you—stay tuned!

Srikant has spent 18+ years as a marketing leader working on billion dollar brands across industries in Asia, from Consumer Tech to QSR and CPG. Prior to Google, Srikant served as Yum! Brand Asia’s Chief Marketing Officer & Chief Strategy Officer. Srikant got his career start at P&G working in Fabric Care & Baby Care across India and ASEAN Markets. Srikant has a personal passion for being a culture champion and growing people. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on honing and trusting our instincts to navigate those sliding door moments in our careers and lives. 

This episode is hosted by P&G Alum Sudha Ranganathan, who’s spent over 19 years in diverse Marketing leadership roles at companies like P&G, PayPal, and LinkedIn where she’s honed her passion for customer-centric marketing and talent development.

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This initiative is a virtual accelerator for P&G Alumni-led startups and scale-ups that offer a product or a service with a proven business model that is already generating sales.  The purpose of this initiative is to accelerate the enterprises of P&G Alum founders by connecting them to potential advisors and investors, while elevating their global visibility.

Selected finalists will present at a Global Virtual Pitch with top global leaders from VC Funds and Global Accelerators (during Feb-Mar 2025). Don’t miss this opportunity to have global reach.

We will also recognize key enterprises for their Climate Impact, Socal Impact and Diversity.

The top companies will get free accelerator-like support from a diverse P&G Alumni team of investors and seasoned start up leaders; and will also present their businesses to the global audience at the P&G Alumni Global Conference on June 12-14, 2025, in Berlin. The overall winner will be recognized as the P&G Alumni Star Entrepreneur of 2025.

You could be the one!  Apply before January 31st, 2025.

If you have any doubt, please write us to catapult@pgalums.com.

Kind regards,

The Global Business Catapult team

Drew studied engineering at THE Ohio State University and was hired by P&G for his technical skills. He worked on global roles in his hometowns of Cincinnati and New York City, yet, it was humor—not engineering—that became his edge in the workplace. By using humor, he diffused tension, built strong relationships, influenced others, and accelerated his career. In fact, he became P&G’s first-ever corporate humorist (self-proclaimed).

Ultimately, Drew made the entrepreneurial leap, founding Humor That Works, a company that has helped 10,000+ leaders in over 100 organizations—including IBM, GE, the FBI, AND P&G —harness humor to lead effectively. His TEDx talk on the skill of humor has been viewed 15MM+ times. You can learn more about Drew’s work at drewtarvin.com. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on how humor can add depth, purpose, and fulfillment to even the most serious work.

This conversation is from P&G Alum Sharad Lal’s top podcast “HOW TO LIVE.” For lots more great conversations with Sharad and thought leaders, subscribe to How To Live wherever you get your favorite podcasts or visit howtolive.life 

Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Sound promising? Well, this is just the beginning! Our list of speakers grows as we move forward with our planning. You can also look forward to:

• Bracken Darrell, CEO of VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies
• Karl Krainer, Chief Thinker & Founder at Gedankenfabrik,
  a reinvention consultancy
• Veronika Rost, Managing Director of Philip Morris Germany,
  working on the vision of delivering a smoke-free future
• Jutta dos Santos Miquelino, co-CEO of the consultancy dos Santos and author of the recently published book “The Glass Elevator”,
  a transformative leadership program

See the full list of speakers on our website which is updated continuously. Forward this link to P&G alumni of your personal network and invite them to join and meet you in Berlin!

We are looking forward to sharing one highlight in 2025 with many of you in Berlin and will make sure to keep you regularly updated about the planning.

Wishing you magical holidays with your families and friends and a healthy, optimistic start in 2025!

I am pleased to report that 2024 finds the Network and our Foundation to be very healthy, continuing to grow and positioned well for the future.

Following our successful  2023 Global Conference held in Washington, DC we are well into the execution of our 2025 conference in Berlin—continuing our history of alternating these events between North American and other key geographies.  The event is being organized by our German Chapter and led by Board Vice Chair Ute Hagen and German Chair Otmar Debald.  The event will take place at the Grand Hyatt in the center of Berlin and will run from Thursday evening, June 12 through Saturday evening, June 14. Among many others, David Taylor has agreed to be an important part of the agenda.  We hope many of you will attend.

Financially, we continue to be on very solid footing and the Foundation had a banner year which you can track in the Impact Report. Rest assured that our conservative approach to financials has the Network and the Foundation protected with the funds needed to operate for several years and plans underway to expand our ability to generate the funding required to grow our offerings for our alumni.

In 2024 we added several new faces to the Network Board and thank several of our peers who have moved on. Joining the Board are Hanxi Zhao from China, Neil Comerford from the UK and South Africa, Fer Jimenez Riveroll from Mexico, and Kendra Speed from the US. We want to thank Stevi Carr, Lisa Reynolds, and Michelle Solano for their service. Our board continues to reflect the diversity of our membership and the global reach of our mission.

Consistent with our mission, we continue to expand our offerings, adding them to our existing enrichment programs, and dramatically improving our communications tools and processes, all in order to serve our members better.

Notable successes, among our programs and initiatives, include:

• Our “Learnings from Leaders” podcast continues to grow its audience.
• Our webinar series, including those in Spanish, continues to secure compelling speakers.
• Our Coaching Program – designed and managed by our Women’s Leadership Forum— expanded out of the test and continues to receive very positive feedback. Moreover, we are exploring ways to bring the expertise of our coaches to the employees of companies run by our alumni.
• Our Peer-to-Peer leadership teams—CEOs, CMOs, and C-Level Women—in >$1B companies continued to gain traction and were an integral part of the global conference. We are exploring groups for CFOs, CIOs, and others.
• Our entrepreneur Business Catapult program has been revised to provide opportunities to alumni entrepreneurs, coaches, and investors – with a financial benefit for the Network.
• Our Younger Alumni efforts are being bolstered by the addition of several younger alumni to the Board.

Further:

• We executed a new event at the Conference dedicated to our Black Alumni with the objective of better serving this community. Kendra Speed has taken on the leadership of that forum.
• We continued to add and build our chapter organization and had several chapter leaders in attendance at the Conference. Ranu Gupta who leads our chapter efforts has helped us add chapters in several cities and countries around the world.
• As can be seen in the 2024 Alumni Foundation Impact Report, our Foundation had another remarkable year in terms of both fundraising and grants, dramatically increasing our impact against the objective of alumni involvement in fostering economic empowerment around the world.

As we enter 2025 in a world of greater uncertainty than we have encountered in some time, we continue to believe that the shared values that connect us as alumni will allow us to deal with whatever comes our way.  My own belief has always been that when we harness the experience, expertise, and creativity of Procter people, we can make great things happen.

As we move forward, I am pleased to report that the Network and the Foundation are healthy and thriving – and it’s all thanks to you.

From our families to yours, our sincere wish for 2025 of Peace On Earth and Goodwill toward Everyone.

Ed Tazzia, Chairman

Whether it’s a struggling company or a city with challenges, investing to spruce things up is not necessarily painting over problems. Celebrating success is essential, as is celebrating our existence together. Bob now serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Hearty, a people-tech company, as well as a few other interesting ventures. While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide, Mr. Clean, and more. Bob authored books and shares real-life stories of his business ups-and-downs in his weekly newsletter “the Workaround” – which you can subscribe to @ beheartly.substack.com

This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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35 years ago, the “wind of change” blew in Berlin, leading to the reunification of the two German countries and the fall of the iron curtain between East and West in Europe. Now, P&G alumni will gather in Berlin to get inspired and co-create ideas on how to navigate through ever-growing uncertainty in a world that is changing more rapidly and fundamentally than ever.

How can we P&G Alumni in our very diverse roles continue to be at the forefront of future-proofing leadership?

We already have more than 60 registered early birds who will get together on June 12-14, 2025 to dive into the four key topics framing the 2-days conference:

1. Resilience and Sustainability of companies and organizations
2. Human-centricity as a key success factor
3. Agility and Digital Disruption
4. Beyond Corporate (the eco-system of entrepreneurship) shaping the world in the non-profit sector.

Besides our P&G Alumni Award winners, we have already secured such outstanding alumni as Austin Lally, Dalia Feldheim, Jim Lafferty, Stefan Homeister, Bob Kunze-Concewitz, Anke Hampel, Till Wahnbaeck sharing their insights with us and leading break-out sessions. Many more speakers are getting on board as we shape the agenda of this inspiring conference!

The keynotes and panel discussions throughout the first day will be closed with an Alumni award dinner at the Grand Hyatt.

On the second day, we will have a gala dinner at Spreespeicher, an event location specially chosen for dinner and dancing in the well-known P&G spirit.

To share this overall experience with your spouses and even your adult children, tailored programs are being prepared to get you all excited about this special occasion in Berlin. These include exclusive Get-your-Guide tours as well as special discussions and CEO meet-ups in addition to the main program for your next generation and young alumni.

What are you waiting for? Get your ticket here!

Who has not yet seen David Taylor in the last newsletter, here he is again inviting you all to be part of the upcoming gathering!

Check our webpage frequently as we will continuously update how many P&G alumni have already signed up and who will take part in leading the program.

She is a 20-year veteran of Starbucks, where she held a variety of leadership roles as the company grew from 50 stores in the US to 55 countries globally. Jessica also held senior roles in China for iconic brands like the Walt Disney Company and Claire’s Accessories.

Jessica is committed to helping organizations understand how to better engage with Chinese businesses and consumers globally. Recently recognized by IPWS with their Lifetime Achievement Award, Jessica works actively to advocate for placing women on executive boards, because the data shows it is just good business. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about mentorship, sponsorship, and knowing what it takes to win in China.

This is part of our Chinese leaders series – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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REGISTER NOW AT https://bit.ly/400Vjf7 

Navigating through uncertainty can be done with different superpowers. Our speakers will inspire you with what they practice and what has proven to stabilize their business and people during these times. They are open to sharing their secrets exclusively with P&G alumni as a gesture to give back to the alma mater which unites us all.

David Taylor, former CEO of P&G had already agreed at the Global Conference in Washington in 2023 to join the next one as he very much appreciates the growth mindset of P&G alumni and their solution-oriented attitude. Listen to his words in his video message here and follow his call to be one of the early birds to book your ticket. “Early bird”-tickets are available now at 499€ (full price will be 649€)

Fernando got his start at P&G, where during his 23-year tenure, became the President of P&G Brazil.

Fernando currently serves on several boards, some of which include CVS Health, Synchrony Financial, and Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Fernando’s been active in the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics, the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and received the NFL’s Hispanic Heritage Leadership award in 2011. He was also the first Hispanic CEO to participate in CBS’s Undercover Boss. In a spanning conversation of fantastic stories, get ready for some lessons learned across cultures, and around the world.

This is a replay from one of our earliest episodes in 2020 celebrating Hispanic P&G Alumni leadership for Hispanic Heritage Month. Got a favorite past guest, or idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Jorge shares his story growing up in Peru (the son of a teacher), becoming an All-American NCAA soccer player, and setting up a company in a foreign country. He shares the importance of building a business culture without compromising ethics and integrity. Ultimately, for Jorge, the most important results come from growing your business and your organization.

This is a replay from one of our earliest episodes in 2020 – celebrating Hispanic P&G Alumni leadership this Hispanic Heritage Month. Got a favorite past guest, or idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Neil Comerford
Neil Comerford is a customer focused business leader with more than 30 years of experience in Commercial and General Management industries. He has lived on three continents and worked in more than 30 countries. Neil is currently consulting companies and investment funds on commercial best practices, company capabilities, and helping to secure investment for high-growth businesses. 

During a Sales and Customer Business Development career in P&G for 19 years, working across WE, CEEMEA, and EMEA, Neil collaborated with many of P&G’s largest global customers and distributor partners. He was (and is), an advocate for and enabler of P&G’s expansion in Africa, working seven years on the continent. Neil is most proud of the generation of P&G and P&G Alum leaders he was able to coach and help grow in their early careers who have now assumed leadership roles of significance. He has recently become actively involved in the P&G Alumni network and has an appetite to help upgrade the attraction and enrollment of young alumni.  

Kendra Speed
Kendra Speed is passionate about helping teams and individuals use their experiences to face new challenges. Her focus on authenticity, purpose, and innovation drives her to inspire others to break through barriers and achieve success. 

As the Global Director of Consumer Insights at LinkedIn, Kendra leads a team that discovers key insights across LinkedIn’s main services, brand perception, and consumer trust. Her work helps shape strategies that improve how people understand and engage with the platform. 

Kendra has ignited more than $2 Billion in product and marketing pipelines for leading brands such as Dropbox, Toyota, Olay, and JM Smucker. Her groundbreaking psychographic segmentation in the real estate industry led to the formation of Charlotte-based homebuilder of Fielding Homes and the rebranding of national multi-family developer Novel. Kendra has partnered with corporations such as BET and P&G to deliver transformative campaigns. As a visionary strategist, she helped to create the national CROWN Act, in partnership with Unilever. 

Fer Jiménez Riveroll
Fer Jiménez Riveroll collaborated within P&G, starting as a scholar in 1991 and growing to band three in 2000. During this period, he held eleven distinct positions, including areas in materials management, shipment liquidation, customer service, sales administration, IWS, and sales. Thereafter he served in General Management of Scorpion, then as General Manager of a Mercedes Benz agency in Querétaro, and later as CMO at DHL Since July 2023, Fer has been a founding partner and Director of Acquisition at NCC, Fer has also been a member of several boards, including the P&G Alumni Mexico Network.

Fer believes that people should remain in a state of constant construction, which is why he continues to learn new things at prestigious centers of learning. Further, his love of philanthropy has led him to undertake many personal projects such as co-writing more than fifty financial intelligence books for children from Kindergarten to High School, founding Deudores Anónimos, and supporting projects like Teletón, Aldeas Infantiles, TECHO, Wikipedia, Greenpeace, and soon Banco de Alimentos

Do you feel energized by interactions with 400 alumni in break-out sessions, panel discussions, one-to-one encounters, fun, and dance in hand-selected venues?

Is it intriguing for you to spend a long weekend in Berlin during the best season of the year, with the longest days and shortest nights? We offer you a unique opportunity on June 12-14 next year!

If your answer is “yes” to these questions, we are pleased to open registrations to those who want to share their enthusiasm for this extra-ordinary business conference with former P&G CEO David Taylor, 7 P&G Alumni Award winners, a multi-national Orga Team and around 400 P&G alumni.

We will share more speakers over the next months.
Follow us and be surprised who will be announced next!

“Early bird”-tickets are available now at 499€ (full price will be 649€) here.

P&G brought us together – P&G Alumni keep us together
Let’s keep the P&G spirit alive and embrace it as a superpower to face any uncertainties coming up in the future!

You’ll enjoy this bonus, candid conversation between co-hosts Raman & Drew from another podcast covering many interesting comics, travel, and life learnings.

LEARN MORE
BOOK: goodreads.com/book/show/5596923-burma-chronicles
BURMA: wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar
DREW: AndrewTarvin.com

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Sam grew up in Florida and before moving to NYC to rise through the ranks of the ad agency world before taking a chance on a mock interview at P&G. Her journey is a reminder of the importance of curiosity, and being open to non-linear paths for personal and professional learning. Sam attended the University of Florida, is married to her high school sweetheart, has 3 kids, and is an avid runner. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on the influence of family and exploring new and different paths to find what truly makes us happy. 

This conversation was hosted by Ida Abdalkhani, Change Catalyzer—an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and P&G Alumni Board Member.

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Mark set out to see each one, embarking on a six-month, 25,000-mile odyssey from his town of Boston to Egypt, England, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, and beyond, to discover what these ancient voices have to say about religion, technology, tribalism, and conflicts of all kinds. You can purchase OBELISK ODYSSEY here.

After 32 years with P&G, Mark became a consultant, first with the Monitor Group in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then as President of Retail Net Group, a boutique consulting firm specializing in retail innovation. Mark also is an instructor at Duquesne University’s semester abroad program in Rome where he has taught several undergraduate business classes. In semi-retirement, Mark found meaning lying in the stone quarries of North Africa, the Egyptian obelisk. In this conversation amongst longtime Alum friends, you’ll hear about Mark and Qaisar’s many adventures, conversations, and reflections across the world. 

Hosting this conversation is a longtime friend of the pod Qaisar Shareef, a fellow P&G alum and author, who’s led many parts of the organization from Pakistan to Ukraine to the US. This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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He was also Group Chief Executive of Jet Airways for a short tenure and has served as a consultant and advisor to the Nitto Denko Corporation in Japan. Ravi has also advised portfolio CEOs of companies across industries and served as an advisor to Marico and Emami—Indian consumer goods companies that are expanding internationally.

Ravi is a Senior Fellow in the Management Department of the Wharton School of Business and has been a Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his BA from the University of Delhi, and Master of Management Studies from the Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Master of Management Studies.

You’ll enjoy this candid conversation between old colleagues and hear the wisdom that has impacted many leaders from Ravi’s storied career.

This is part of our Asian leaders series – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Mary Carmen’s 25+ years of experience across multiple industries and cultures have given her a unique perspective on navigating the elusive-for-many idea of “work /life balance” and creating structures that enable longer-term flow. She has more than 20 years of experience building and expanding consumer brands in fragrances, beauty, personal care, and women’s health categories.

Mary Carmen previously served as Unilever’s Global Vice President working on men’s personal care brands like Axe & Lynx. She spent 22+ years at P&G, getting her start as a product development engineer, and rising through roles in brand and general management —from Haircare, Cosmetics, Skincare, Prestige Fragrances, Consumer Health, and P&G Ventures. Mary Carmen has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Xavier University. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on the importance of advocacy in one’s career, clarity on priorities, and the development of frameworks to create the life you want

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We need to remember that money and time are often linked. We spend time, save time, invest time, and buy time. Freedom is entwined with time, too. There’s free time, leisure time, time off, flex time, and downtime. Bob shares ways to improve your life by making better daily decisions about time, money, and freedom—from the basic, tactical choices to laddering up to big-picture strategy with a personal story from his childhood that still drives him today.

Bob now serves as co-founder and CEO of Hearty, a people-tech company, as well as a few other interesting ventures. While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide and Mr. Clean – and Mr. Clean Auto Dry, and even Fit fruit and vegetable wash. Bob authored books and shares real-life stories of his business ups-and-downs in his weekly newsletter “the Workaround” – which you can subscribe to at beheartly.substack.com

This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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While countless books, blogs, podcasts, and software solutions aim to help us better manage our calendars, inboxes, feeds, and habits—we lack time to listen to or learn from them. And it feels like once we manage some part of our day, two more new things suck us in. Bob hit a breakthrough in the past few years when he realized a higher level of the game: Managing our minds better is critical to managing our time better. You’ll hear strategic ways to understand and choose ways of living that give you more time back and make more meaningful moments throughout your day.

Bob now serves as co-founder and CEO of Hearty, a people-tech company, and other interesting ventures. While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide and Mr. Clean. Bob shares real-life stories of his business ups and downs in his weekly newsletter “The Workaround” which you can subscribe to at beheartly.substack.com

This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Shaun is an internationally popular economics speaker who works with boards, billionaires, heads of state, CEOs, and senior executives of Fortune 500 & leading Chinese companies, private equity firms, SMEs, and long/hedge funds to develop their China growth, political, and investment strategies.

Shaun is the author of international best-sellers The War for China’s Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order, The End of Cheap China, and The End of Copycat China and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, the New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS, CNN, BBC, CNBC, PBS, CNBC, NPR / APM Marketplace, and MSNBC.

Born in New Hampshire, Shaun earned his BA from McGill University and his MA from Harvard. He’s previously taught executive education classes for London Business School and has served on the Board of Trustees for St. Paul’s School. Shaun lives in Shanghai, China.

This is part of our Chinese leaders series – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Manreet’s articles and essays have appeared in the NY Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the South China Morning Post, among others. Manreeet has taught for the New York Public Library and the City College of New York—and she’s a former corporate citizen having done stints in Asia, and a parent grappling with the world our kids will inherit.

Manreet’s recently completed Partition Trilogy—a series of 3 books titled Lahore, Hyderabad, and Kashmir—is a historical fiction set during, before, and immediately after the Partition, and independence of, India and Pakistan of 1947. Partition is among the great humanitarian disasters of the 20th century, and the largest mass migration in history. The history of Partition impacts and informs much of what is happening today in both Asia and the United States, from the tensions between India and Pakistan to the rise of nationalism and extremism in our politics around the world.

Manreet’s unique voice focuses not just on the personal musings of these larger-than-life historical figures, like India’s founding fathers Gandhi & Nehru, but also breathes life into characters who represent the stats and figures that we sometimes gloss over when we hear of a tragedy (including the role and subversion of women by history). This is a powerful conversation about the weaponization of history, and how storytelling and fact-checking have to work hand in hand to inform the next generation.

This is a past conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that we hope will provide new perspectives and learnings.

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Allison Kirkby—Diversity and Inclusion Award
Allison is an outstanding recipient of the 2025 P&G Alumni Diversity and Inclusion Award.  As the CEO of FTSE 100 British Telecom, she has proven herself an outstanding leader who delivers great results and inclusive cultures through classic best practices: publishing targets, measuring progress, and being held accountable for results. 

While Allison was on the BT Board, the organization made public its targets for increasing its workforce diversity: 32% female, 13% ethnic minority, and 10% disabled by 2025; and 25% ethnic minority by 2030. Since becoming Chief Executive, BT has made headlines for confirming that the representation of minority communities in local areas positively affects decisions around where offices are based. 

Furthermore, Allison has linked a proportion of her bonus to BT’s success in hitting its ambitious diversity targets. 

Allison has shown that inclusive culture is at the very heart of her leadership at BT — all while delivering better business results. 

Aliyu Mohammed Ali—Early Achievement
Aliyu has been selected as the recipient for the Early Achievement Award for transforming the traditional waste management industry of Dubai as the CEO/Co-Founder of Ehfaaz, a six-year-old circular economy company committed to closed-loop resource recovery. Ehfaaz gives used resources new life, utilizing discarded materials from the CPG industry to produce organic compost, animal feed, and industrial cleaning products. 

His innovations are modernizing recycling and waste management methods to create a more sustainable world. Aliyu has been featured in many Dubai and international publications. The UN’s annual climate change conferences featured Ehfaaz’s solutions at COP27 and Aliyu was a featured speaker at COP28. A PGAF board officer, Aliyu is also a mentor to business startups. 

Aliyu is an ardent advocate for the UN’s goals on climate change. True to his mission to sustain the world’s resources, his company name, Ehfaaz, means “to protect” in English.

Deborah Kielty—Community Service
A familiar name to most alumni, Deb Kielty has been selected as the recipient for the Community Service Award in recognition of her 30+ years of volunteer and nonprofit leadership – including roles as, World Trade Center Institute President, Families with Children from China Board Chair, Johns Hopkins Jhpiego Trustee and more. 

In 2001, Deb joined the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI), a nonprofit focused on driving new ideas and connections for growth and global good. After retiring from P&G Deb spent 20 years as WTCI President. Deb and her team have hosted knowledge exchange programs for over 8,000 visiting international professionals – covering hundreds of topics ranging from combating human trafficking to reducing recidivism — all in partnership with the U.S. State Department International Visitors Leadership Program. Under Deb’s leadership, WTCI grew its impact 8-fold behind the IVLP and many other innovative new programs – including Women Spanning the Globe Leadership, Global Pathways for Students, and AGILE Global Innovation.

For the past 10 years, Deb has also served on the global Johns Hopkins Jhpiego Board, a $400 million non-profit providing women and families living in poverty access to high-quality health care. She served for six years as a Trustee for Baltimore Outreach Services, one of the only homeless shelters that accept women and children. She served for 20 years on Baltimore’s Council on Foreign Affairs, bringing global thought-leaders to the mid-Atlantic. She was appointed to the Governor’s Subcabinet on International Affairs under several administrations in her home state of Maryland, receiving a Distinguished Service citation from Senator Mikulski. 

Elliott Millenson—John E. Pepper Humanitarian Award
Because of Elliot Millenson, the recipient of the John E. Pepper Humanitarian Award, untold thousands of people are alive and living fuller lives today.  He has consistently used skills gained in brand management at P&G to serve humanity. After P&G, at Harvard Business School, he helped develop the marketing strategy for the US Office on Smoking & Health, the government’s first anti-smoking campaign, (and wrote a case study on the challenges of government marketing).

In the 1980s, he was founder and CEO of Direct Access Diagnostics, giving consumers direct access to laboratory testing from the privacy of home. Thereby opening up the home testing market for infectious diseases – developing the world’s first home HIV test. Clinical trials demonstrated safety and efficacy – with results identical to the best HIV lab tests available — and survey data revealed  three times as many people would test with a home HIV test versus face to face testing. It took a nine-year fight but Elliott persevered and succeeded in getting the world’s first home HIV test approved. 

Today, home HIV testing is recognized by the World Health Organization and health authorities around the world as an important tool, providing a confidential, safe, and private way to test for HIV, thereby preventing new HIV infections, and getting infected people into treatment.  

Elliott is currently a Board member of Harm Reduction Therapeutics, a non-profit pharmaceutical company which recently received FDA approval for an OTC version of the opioid antidote naloxone.  His advocacy for home COVID testing — pushing the Federal government to develop and then broadly distribute rapid home COVOD tests– resulted in the distribution of hundreds of millions of tests, impacting millions of lives.

Kevin Houston—Innovation Award
Dealing with our environment is a global imperative.  Kevin Houston is the Innovation Award recipient for his work in making a significant step in the right direction. 

Kevin co-founded Carbon Masters — a climate tech company, established first in the UK in 2009, and then launched Carbonlites in India in 2012. Their stated mission is to reduce carbon emissions by replacing fossil fuels consumption with innovative, clean energy, low carbon solutions and products.

Kevin and his people have pioneered the conversion of food and agri-wastes to produce two climate-friendly products, sold and marketed under the brand name Carbonlites.

• Carbonlites Bio-Enriched Organic Manure — a carbon enriched organic fertilizer which puts carbon back into the soil and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, 
• Carbonlites Bio-CNG, carbon neutral fuel displacing diesel for electricity generation and transport, and LPG for commercial cooking 

Both mitigate carbon emissions and reduce the risks of climate change.

With the unprecedented rise in fossil fuel prices and the world only a decade away from avoiding the worst consequences of climate change, there is now an even greater need for low carbon solutions.

Ilaria Resta—John G. Smale General Management Award
IIaria Resta is recognized for the John Smale General Management Award and her many contributions across industries.

Ilaria is a passionate business leader with expertise in brand building, sales, and P&L management.  She has more than 22 years of experience at Procter & Gamble with a track record helping business transform crisis into success, renewing P&G’s European Hair Care business and, prior to that, restructuring the Duracell business before successful divestiture. As Vice President, Hair Care, North America, Ilaria and her team delivered the strongest business results in 11 years, growing market share and penetration, increasing double-digit revenues and high single digit profit, and  transforming the product portfolio and retail distribution. 

At Firmenich, Ilaria and her team delivered consistent top line and bottom improvements, achieving leading share in the Perfumery and Ingredients business (growing revenues under her three years tenure with a CAGR of 26%). She was the business leader who drove the merger with DSM and launched a successful IPO reaching a market cap of $30Bn. 

llaria  is acknowledged by WWD as Brand Builder of the Year in the US in 2019, from CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) as winner of the Global Achiever Award, and as  a number one Swiss business leader from the Italy-Swiss Chamber of Commerce. 

Ilaria joined Audemars Piguet as CEO in August 2023, where her mission is to strengthen the foundation for accelerated growth and brand expansion.  

Rad Ewing—McElroy Award
Rad Ewing is the recipient of the McElroy Award. Rad led important marketing practice innovations at P&G that generated growth across all categories. These principles became the foundation of modern marketing practice, including 

• Point of Market Entry insights and programs that tied marketing to life stages 
• Marketing Best Practices analysis and creation of the mNet online resource to make P&G marketing knowledge more accessible and applicable 
• Product Initiative Success analysis and incorporation into the SIMPL product launch system that increased new product success rates 
• Shopper Marketing Framework that enabled retailers to better meet shopper needs and transformed P&G retail partnerships 
• Brand Building Framework that reinvented P&G’s marketing approach 

After a long and storied career at P&G, including receiving the first P&G Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, Rad went on to a consulting career applying these principles successfully in non-competing industries (Coca Cola Beverages, Samsung Electronics, McCormick, and non profit organizations). 

His evidenced-based, curiosity-forward approach led to many important advancements in marketing for P&G and the industry. Rad is rooted firmly in data and asks the “why” question to unlock the possibilities of making something better.  

Learn more about the category descriptions on our website, and be sure to register for the 2025 P&G Alumni Global Conference in Berlin to attend the awards ceremony!

Prior to becoming a coach, Dawn spent over 30 years at Procter & Gamble with responsibility for businesses of up to $12 billion in revenue and managing organizations of up to 3,000 people. Her experience includes startup, expansion, and restructuring of international markets in Asia, North America, Latin America, and Eastern and Western Europe. Dawn has guided hundreds of individuals, teams, and organizations to achieve greater success through the confidence to push the boundaries of what is possible and deliver the extraordinary. Dawn is a Co-Active Coach with Certifications from the Coaches Training Institute and the International Coaching Federation. She holds a BS degree from the University of Rochester, is a faculty member at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management, and speaks four languages. Dawn lives near Denver, CO with her family and enjoys snow skiing, traveling, and reading cookbooks.

This is part of our P&G Alumni Coaching series diving deep into relevant career coaching topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free first session at coaching.pgalums.com

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Since taking leadership of P&G’s Beauty portfolio in 2017, Alex has driven the sector’s turnaround. As Executive Sponsor for Corporate Sustainability, Alex works alongside P&G’s Chief Sustainability Officer to guide the Company’s sustainability progress. She is also the company’s Executive Sponsor of LGBTQ+ Equality & Inclusion. During Alex’s 34 years with P&G, she has worked in Product Supply, Brand Management, and General Management, spanning multiple categories across Fabric Care and Beauty, in North America, Asia, and Europe regions. In 2020, Alex was elected to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Board of Directors. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alex holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona. She lives in Geneva, Switzerland with her husband, Chris Keith.

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This is part of our Chinese leaders series – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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Her last position was Vice President of Insights at PepsiCo Europe. She is a national of 3 countries in 3 different continents and has worked with clients and teams across the globe. You’ll enjoy this candid coaching conversation on how to reconcile values that come into conflict and make thoughtful, intentional choices for work and life. 

This is part of our P&G Alumni Coaching series diving deep into relevant career coaching topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in your career and life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free session at coaching.pgalums.com 

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Following a spiritual adventure, Denis left P&G and completed seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, then led Answers for Life, the ministry of Dr. Henry Cloud before becoming Senior Pastor at Mariemont Church before retiring in 2022.  Denis shares not just about his P&G career progression, but also about the makings and execution of a big career pivot that left some of his colleagues baffled, and the importance of passing down wisdom to the next generation of leaders which, in Denis’ case, is through his book. Denis has been married to his wife Marianne for 42 years and enjoys spending time with his 4 children and 10 grandchildren, with their eleventh on the way. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about making big changes to lead a fulfilling life.

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While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide, Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean Auto Dry, and even Fit fruit and vegetable wash. Bob’s authored books and launched several successful newsletters. In his latest Substack newsletter the Workaround (beheartly.substack.com), Bob shares real-life stories of his business ups and downs. Bob’s latest piece is titled “In Person is a 10x” about the magic that comes when we get together—because you can’t
co-create something special without being in the same room.

LEARN ABOUT BOB – behearty.substack.com

This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

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