Colgate-Palmolive and Metro Executives Elected New Co-Chairs of the Consumer Goods Forum Board

BERLIN and PARIS, Wednesday 21^st  June 2017 – The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), the global body for the consumer goods industry, announced today that it has elected two new Co-Chairs for its Board: Ian Cook, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Colgate-Palmolive will chair the Manufacturer College of the Board, while Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board of METRO GROUP will chair the Retailer College.

The pair will lead the CGF Board for two years, and replace outgoing Co-Chairs Denise Morrison President and Chief Executive Officer of the Campbell Soup Company and Gareth Ackerman, Chairman of Pick n Pay.

In addition, Emmanuel Faber, Chief Executive Officer of Danone and Ömer Özgür Tort, Chief Executive Officer, Migros Group have been appointed as Vice Co-Chairs of the CGF Board.

Today’s announcement was made after the bi-annual Board of Directors meeting, which took place at the 61^st Global Summit, in Berlin from the 21^st to 23^rd June.

Global Learnings Through Local Successes

As members of the CGF continue to face challenges within their own industry, they are also faced with the impact of geopolitics on their operations. Ian Cook and Olaf Koch join at an exciting and challenging time for the industry, bringing their manufacturing and retail expertise to unite members in addressing and responding to both regional and global market needs.

Commenting on his election, Olaf Koch, Chairman of the Management Board of METRO GROUP, said: As the consumer industry continues to face its biggest disruption for decades, the CGF becomes ever more important in these pivotal times. Only through commitment and collaboration can we expect our industry to drive positive change and create long-term sustainable business growth. I am, therefore, delighted to have been elected Co-Chair of the CGF’s Board of Directors and would like thank to my fellow Board members. I look forward to co-leading the ambitious work we have set ourselves and in helping secure the future of our planet, our people and our businesses.

Commenting on his election, Ian Cook, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Colgate-Palmolive, said: Colgate has been working with The Consumer Goods Forum for many years, and I am delighted to now serve in this leadership role. The Consumer Goods Forum is unique, and I look forward to helping it strengthen collaborative engagement among manufacturers and retailers to help tackle issues such as climate change, forced labour, consumer health, food safety and supply chain inefficiencies.

Both Mr Cook and Mr Koch emphasised their gratitude to Ms Morrison and Mr Ackerman for their outstanding contribution to the CGF over the previous two years, and thanked them on behalf of the Board for their exceptional leadership. Elected as Vice Co-Chairs at the 2013 Board of Directors meeting in Tokyo, Ms Morrison and Mr Ackerman took over as Co-Chairs following their appointment at the 2015 Board meeting in New York.  

NOTES TO EDITOR:

Ian Cook

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Colgate-Palmolive Company

Ian Cook is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Mr Cook joined Colgate in 1976 and progressed through marketing and other management roles in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Philippines. Between 1988 and 1994 he held positions as General Manager of Colgate subsidiaries in the Dominican Republic and Scandinavia.

In 1994, Mr Cook returned to the US to lead the US Oral Care Division and subsequently assumed responsibility for all US Marketing. In 1997, Mr Cook was named President, Colgate U.S., later adding responsibility for Canada and Puerto Rico. In 1999, he was promoted to Executive Vice President with added responsibilities for Europe, the Caribbean region and professional Oral Care products worldwide.

Mr Cook became Chief Operating Officer in 2004, with responsibility for operations in North America, Europe, Central Europe, Asia, and Africa. In 2005, he was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for all Colgate operations worldwide. Mr Cook became Chief Executive Officer and a member of Colgate’s Board of Directors in July 2007. He became Chairman in January 2009.

Mr Cook serves on the boards of PepsiCo, Inc.; Catalyst, the women’s leadership organisation; New Visions for Public Schools, a New York City education organisation; and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Mr Cook is a graduate of London University (Guildhall).

Olaf Koch

Chairman of the Management Board
METRO GROUP

Fields of responsibility at the Management Board of METRO AG

• Corporate Communications
• Group Strategy
• Corporate M&A
• Corporate Legal Affairs & Compliance
• Corporate Office
• Corporate Public Policy
• HoReCa Digital
• Business Innovation
• Real
• METRO PROPERTIES
• MIB METRO GROUP Insurance Broker

Born on June 1, 1970 in Bad Soden am Taunus
Graduated in business management, University of Cooperative Education Stuttgart

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About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

For further information, please contact:

Lee Green
Director, Communications
The Consumer Goods Forum
[email protected]

Helen Blair
Manager, Corporate
GOLIN
[email protected]