Procter & Gamble's SVP skin and personal care exits after 25 years

Priyali Kamath has stepped down as Procter & Gamble's (P&G) senior vice president, skin and personal care after 25 years in the company, she confirmed to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. She will be joining global FMCG Imperial Brands as its president for the AAACE region (Africa, Asia, Australasia, Central & Eastern Europe).

"I didn't so much as choose to leave P&G, as I chose to join Imperial Brands, a global FMCG business going through an exciting consumer-led transformation," she said in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

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In this role, Kamath will join Imperial Brands' executive leadership team under CEO Stefan Bomhard to further the company’s purpose of forging a healthier future for the world's billion adult smokers, she added. 

Kamath joined Procter & Gamble in 1999 as a human resource manager. In 2003, she was promoted to brand director, feminine care. Here, she led the marketing program for P&G's Whisper business, including developing a profitable launch model for affordable protection.

In 2010, Kamath stepped up as senior marketing director, media, for ASEAN, Australasia, India, Japan and Korea. Here, she led the media and digital strategies for P&G Asia. She worked with the team to create a new methodology for revenue-based planning to step change media ROI, accelerate the adoption of digital and harness big data for sharper targeting and re-targeting.

Kamath then moved up to helm the roles of vice president, global air care design and Asia air care delivery, vice president of oral care Asia Pacific, and vice president of hair care Asia Pacific before being promoted to senior vice president, skin and personal care in 2018. She held this role for close to six years before stepping down. 

When asked what her proudest achievements were with the brand, Kamath said that one that stands out for her is her work done with Olay where she not just innovated to provide delightful, scientifically advanced skincare for consumers, but also advocated for women in STEM.

Over the years, Olay's #STEMTheGap campaign in India has shone a light on issues ranging from unconscious bias that keeps women out of STEM careers to the lack of mentors and role models as the key barrier for women in STEM careers.

The launch of AI-Shu - a virtual mentor, powered by AI and the voices of several Indian women in STEM (past & present), helped Indian women access career counsel, that could make the difference between staying or giving up in STEM pursuits, she explained. 

"There are few better schools for leadership and brand building than P&G. I am extremely grateful for the wonderful opportunities I have had to touch and improve consumer lives across the world, leading businesses and brands that are both a force for growth and a force for good," she said. 

"I look forward to my next chapter, where I can apply what I learned at P&G and grow through the different opportunities, challenges and experiences that Imperial Brands will offer," Kamath added. 

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