TEXAS (From news reports) -- Kimberly-Clark will bring on a new chief growth officer as the maker of products such as Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers prepares for a reorganization.
Patricia Corsi will succeed Alison Lewis, who is retiring after five years in the role, Kimberly-Clark said. Corsi was most recently chief marketing, IT and digital officer at Bayer Consumer Health and previously held marketing roles at companies such as Unilever and Heineken.
Kimberly-Clark in March outlined plans to rework its supply chain and reorganize its business segments in part to rein in costs and streamline its operations.
Years of high inflation have meant many consumers have frequently reached for generic store brands rather than higher-priced alternatives. But the company raised its sales and profit forecasts for this year when it reported its most recent quarterly earnings, saying it was still seeing strong demand for its premium personal care and household products. Executives said during a recent investor meeting that Kimberly-Clark had ramped up ad spending in 2023 and planned to increase it further this year.
Marketing-adjacent titles such as chief growth officer or chief brand officer have become more common as the remit of marketing leaders expands far beyond the walls of advertising and executives are increasingly required to link those efforts to sales.
In her new role, Corsi will oversee global marketing, innovation, insights and analytics, creative and design work, and revenue growth management, reporting to Kimberly-Clark chief executive Mike Hsu.
"It's a little bit of marketing, it's commercial as well, and then--of course--technology is in the middle of both of them," Corsi said.
When making the case for consumer products, it is crucial for brands to be able to tell a story about value and product benefits, Corsi said. She noted lower-income consumers were the most loyal customers of certain brands she has overseen in the past. "They cannot afford to buy a product if they don't know if it works," she said.
Corsi will begin her new role July 1.
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