Benno Dorer
Benno Dorer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 (age 59–60) Furtwangen im Schwarzwald, Germany |
| Alma mater | University of Freiburg Saarland University |
| Occupation(s) | Chair and CEO, The Clorox Company |
| Predecessor | Donald Knauss |
| Board member of | VF Corporation, Grocery Manufacturers Association |
Benno O. Dorer (born 1964) is a German businessperson. With the entirety of his career in the consumer goods industry,[1] he has been the CEO and Chair of Clorox since November 2014 and August 2016, respectively.[2] He began his career with Procter & Gamble, in 1990,[1] then held a series of senior positions at Clorox, starting in 2005, then becoming CEO in 2014.[3] An original signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity and inclusion pledge;[4] Dorer was the highest-rated CEO in the United States in the Glassdoor 2017 Employees' Choice Awards.[5] He serves on the board of directors of the VF Corporation,[2] and is vice-chair of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.[3]
In 2023, Dorer was listed as Interim President and CEO of VF Corporation.[6]
Early life and education[edit]
Dorer was born in 1964, in Furtwangen im Schwarzwald.[7] Growing up in the Black Forest of Germany, he sawed wood until the age of 14, and also worked for the Siedle company, during holidays. Dorer is multilingual,[2] and graduated from the Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium in Furtwagenving to Freiburg, where he earned a degree in economics from the University of Freiburg, in 1986.[1] He then earned a graduate degree[3] in business administration from Saarland University, in 1990.[1]
Career[edit]
Procter & Gamble[edit]
Following his 1990 graduation from college,[8] Dorer began his career at Procter & Gamble (P&G), where he held a number of executive positions[9] in Germany over a five year span, then, after 1995, worked out of Stockholm, Sweden, Brussels, Belgium,[2] and Cincinnati, Ohio.[10] At P&G, he also variously oversaw marketing for laundry, beauty and care, paper products, and home care,[11] and led the marketing organization of the joint venture between Clorox and The Glad Products Company.[2]
Clorox[edit]
In January 2005, he joined Clorox as vice-president and general manager of its Glad Products division.[12][9] From March to October 2007, he was VP and general manager of the household division at Clorox, then was VP and general manager of the cleaning division, until June 2009, when he became the division's senior VP. In March 2011, he became the senior VP of Canada at Clorox, as well, holding the role until late 2012. On 1 January 2013, he was named Clorox's executive VP and CEO for cleaning, international units, and corporate strategy. During this time, Dorer and Clorox CEO Donald Knauss "worked closely together to lead the Clorox 2020 strategy," of cutting supply and operational costs while increasing personal care sales. Dorer also sought to stated he would focus the company on "markets with the highest profit potential."
Dorer became CEO of Clorox on November 20, 2014, succeeding Donald Knauss.[9][13] While CEO, Dorer also became the Clorox chairman on August 15, 2016.[3][2] As of 2016, Dorer reportedly owned approximately 27,000 Clorox shares then worth US $3.4 million,[14] and his annual compensation that year amounted to $8.9 million.[15] He remained CEO as of 2017, stating to media outlets that Clorox was continuing to focus on services such as online grocery shopping and e-commerce.[16]
Boards and memberships[edit]
Since 2017, Dorer has served on the board of VF Corporation.[2][11] He is also vice-chair of the grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).[2] Dorer has advocated for diversity in business,[17][18] emphasizing the business case and the significant roles of CEOs in furthering societal change,[19] and was an original signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge in 2017.[4]
Awards[edit]
Dorer was the highest-rated CEO in the United States in the Glassdoor 2017 Employees' Choice Awards,[5][20] earning a 99 percent approval rating from employees.[21][22][23][24] Sources attributed the ranking to management tactics that included transparency, emphasizing results, giving workers flexibility,[22][23][25] and encouraging debate.[8]
He was named among the Bay Area's Most Admired CEOs of 2017 by the San Francisco Business Times.[26] The following year, Dorer was named to the junior Achievement Northern California Business hall of Fame[27] and, in 2018, named as the Out & Equal CEO of the Year.[28]
Personal life[edit]
Dorer has resided in the Northern California Bay Area,[29] since 2005.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Benno Dorer's LinkedIn profile". linkedin.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Benno Dorer: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer". The Clorox Company. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Company Overview of the Clorox Company". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "Personal Care and Cosmetics Leaders Take On Unconscious Bias Against Race and Gender". Cosmetic Design. June 25, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b Eades, John (June 27, 2017). "he Highest Rated CEO of 2017 Just Gave a Masterclass in Leadership". Cosmetic Design. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "Executive Leadership Team". VF Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
- ^ a b "Pleasant Bosses". How Germany Ticks. August 21, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "Benno Dorer shares the secret to his success and popularity at Clorox". BizJournals.com.com. November 9, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Clorox names Dorer as new CEO". The Mercury News. September 18, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ Brunsman, Barrett J. (August 23, 2017). "Prominent CEOs among 1,500 former P&Gers to descend on Cincinnati". BizJournals.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ a b Carol L. Roberts and Benno Dorer Elected to VF Corporation’s Board of Directors", Vanessa McCutchen, VF Corporation. Accessed 17 January 2019.
- ^ "Lessons from the kitty litter wars for incoming Clorox CEO Benno Dorer", by Phil Wahba, Fortune, 23 September 2014.
- ^ "Why New Clorox CEO Won't Mimic Alma Mater P&G's Marketing Cuts", by Jack Neff, AdAge 24 September 2014.
- ^ "Benno O Dorer Insider Trading Overview". www.insidermole.com. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ^ "BRIEF-Clorox Co says chairman and CEO Benno Dorer's 2017 total compensation was $8 mln", SEC Filing, Reuters, 22 September 2017.
- ^ "Clorox CEO says Amazon’s grocery service delivered surprises, including a boost in its ecommerce growth", San Francisco Business Times 23 August 2017.
- ^ "Highest Rated CEOs Share the Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion", Glassdoor, 9 August 2017.
- ^ “Clorox CEO on How to Just Win, and Why Diversity Is So Important: Rewind,” thestreet.com 7 October 2017.
- ^ “We Must Get Uncomfortable to Drive D&I,” Network of Executive Women, January 2018.
- ^ "Employees reveal why they're so excited to work for the most beloved CEO in America, who runs an $18 billion company", Aine Cain, 'Business Insider, 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Benno Dorer shares the secret to his success and popularity at Clorox", San Francisco Business Times, 9 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Brilliant Lesson in Leadership. Here It Is in 1 Sentence", by Justin Bariso, Inc 26 June 2017.
- ^ a b "The most beloved CEO in the US shares his No. 1 piece of career advice", CNBC 20 June 2017.
- ^ "Clorox tops list of 100 highest-rated CEOs", by Sophia Tulip, USA Today, 24 June 2017.
- ^ "America's top-rated CEO isn't a household name Aimee Picchi", by Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Who Are the Bay Area's Most Admired CEOs", Bay Area Council, 2017.
- ^ "JA Northern California Business Hall of Fame", Junior Achievement Northern California Business Hall of Fame, 1 May 2018.
- ^ “Momentum Gala Celebration,” Affinity Inc. Magazine, 16 April 2018.
- ^ "Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies", by Leslie P. Norton, Barron's, 3 February 2018.