P&G vice president of innovation to speak at Whitman Oct. 21

P&G vice president of innovation to speak at Whitman Oct. 21October 13, 2008Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will host a guest lecture by Claudia Kotchka, vice president of design, innovation, and strategy at Procter & Gamble, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. The lecture, titled “Culture Change at P&G,” will take place in the Lender Auditorium located on the concourse level of the Whitman School building. It is free and open to the public; paid parking is available at the University Avenue Garage.

Kotchka joined P&G in 1978 as a brand assistant for Crest. She went on to lead marketing efforts for such national brands as Pampers, Pantene and Head & Shoulders. In 2001, Kotchka was appointed to her current position, charged with building design into P&G’s standard operating procedures.

Kotchka has been recognized as one of “20 Masters of Design” by Fast Company Magazine and as “Best Leaders of 2005” and “Champion of Innovation” in 2006 by Business Week. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University.

P&G was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble as a small soap and candle company. Today, P&G is the world’s largest consumer goods products company, with brands in more than 180 countries, operations in more than 80 countries and worldwide sales of more than $83 billion.

For more information, contact Amy Mehringer, Whitman communications manager, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.