theceomagazine.com | 115shampoo for the Rejoice franchise, and the Pantene
Gold Series duo packs, to mention just a few.”
In April, P&G acquired Merck KGaA’s global
Consumer Health business, one of its biggest
acquisitions. The US$4.2 billion deal with the
German pharmaceutical, chemical and life sciences
company expanded P&G’s portfolio of over-the-
counter consumer healthcare products and increased
its exposure to Latin American and Asian markets.
Around 3,300 employees from Merck Consumer
Health will transition to P&G. “Yes, Merck is a
decent-sized acquisition. It affirms our commitment
to be a leader in the consumer health market,”
Suranjan says. “I am looking forward to how we can
accelerate the growth of this business and the new
brands for us.”
Meanwhile, at the community level, P&G
enjoys a strong corporate commitment. The P&G
Children’s Safe Drinking Water program has
delivered more than 14 billion litres of clean
drinking water via Purifier of Water packets,
a formula invented by P&G fabric care scientists.
“We are also active in UNICEF sabbaticals where
employees take time off to serve UNICEF missions.
While we are contributing skill sets, we are also
learning new ones that help us become more
well-rounded.”
Suranjan is fiercely proud of P&G’s reputation
as an employer, thanks in no small part to his own
skills as a leader. The company consistently wins
awards for its commitment to diversity, developing
and training its people, creating outstanding leaders
and promoting gender equality.
He attributes P&G’s global success as an
in-demand employer to its ‘grow from within’
philosophy, a development program aimed at
retaining talented employees from the day they
start, straight out of college. Thousands of hours
are spent on training staff and investing in their
future, ensuring success and consistency throughout
the organisation.
“Of course, we do hire people from outside,” he
adds. “But our strategy allows us to have consistency
with diversity in our work environment, and we are
committed to achieving gender balance at all levels.
Another advantage we offer is the P&G Leadership
Academy, a training program for every level, from
the new hire to the vice president. Our people are
our core.”
Today, 180 years later, P&G is still growing
strong thanks to its relentless desire to improve
people’s lives through innovation. Powered by its
people, it seems the company is bound to continue
to grow strongly for many years to come.“The journey has
been fantastic ...
I truly believe
that nothing is
impossible and
I ask my colleagues
to also adopt that
as a mindset.”
Interview | INNOVATE