Edgewell Personal Care makes executive leadership changes
Edgewell Personal Care Company has made key changes to its executive leadership team, including the appointments of a chief operating officer and a new chief financial officer, in conjunction with a simplified and streamlined organizational structure that will better position the company for continued long-term, sustainable growth.
"As the results we reported this morning illustrate, our strategy is working. We delivered modestly positive topline organic growth and another quarter of healthy year-over-year gross margin accretion. As a result, we have increased our Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS outlook for fiscal 2024. With these strategic changes, Edgewell is well-positioned to further capitalize on the growth opportunities we see in the markets we serve," said Rod Little, president and CEO of Edgewell Personal Care.
Little continued, "I'm confident that the changes we are making to our leadership team and operating structure will help bolster our global business, strengthen our consumer-centric innovation platform and accelerate our efforts to continue to drive meaningful gross margin accretion, all in support of our overarching goal of delivering consistent and sustainable top- and bottom-line growth."
Dan Sullivan, currently chief financial officer and president of Europe and Latin America, has been appointed to the position of chief operating officer, effective immediately. This appointment will streamline and strengthen the company's leadership structure, narrow spans of control, enhance the speed of decision-making and improve enterprise execution against critical business priorities to maximize performance, the company said. Sullivan will continue to serve as chief financial officer until Dec. 1, 2024.
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In his role as chief operating officer, Sullivan will be responsible for continuing to drive and grow the company's International markets under a newly consolidated international business. Additionally, while continuing to have purview over finance, IT, strategy, M&A and business development, he will now also oversee global operations, supply chain and corporate sustainability.
Sullivan joined Edgewell in 2019 and has more than three decades of experience in corporate finance, strategy and operations. Prior to Edgewell, Sullivan successfully led financial and operational functions across various global retail and CPG organizations.
Francesca Weissman, currently senior vice president of finance and business strategy, will assume the role of chief financial officer effective Dec. 1, 2024. Weissman will report to Sullivan and continue to lead all aspects of corporate FP&A and commercial and operational finance. Her additional responsibilities as chief financial officer will include oversight of controllership and accounting, investor relations, internal audit, tax and treasury. She will work closely with Sullivan in the months leading up to her officially taking the role to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
Weissman joined Edgewell in 2019 and has over 25 years of broad finance experience across all aspects of finance, M&A and corporate strategy. Prior to Edgewell, she held senior leadership roles of increasing scope and responsibility across various industries with global, publicly held organizations.
"I have seen Dan's dedication to the business firsthand and recognize his successful scaling of growth in Europe and Latin America over the past two years while enhancing our organization's focus on execution and performance. I look forward to his continued focus on our gross margin accretion priorities and driving company-wide organic and inorganic growth as we execute our strategic initiatives," Little said. "I am also proud to promote a key member of the finance organization, Francesca Weissman, to CFO. She has been an integral part of our team and I am confident that she will make a positive impact as she takes on new leadership responsibilities."
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In addition to strengthening its executive leadership team, Edgewell is streamlining its international markets—to simplify its operating structure, allow for greater focus on commercial innovation and operational execution and better position the company for sustainable top- and bottom-line growth.
All international businesses, including Europe, Latin America, Japan and China, will now be under Sullivan's leadership.
Rod Little and Eric O'Toole, president of North America of Edgewell Personal Care, have agreed on the need for a new direction for North America; consequently, O'Toole will be stepping aside from the role following a brief transition period, with Little assuming direct responsibilities for the region on an interim basis. An executive search is currently underway to fill the position. Once the role is filled, it will continue to report to Little.
"Eric joined us in 2020 and led our North American business' return to growth in fiscal 2021 through fiscal 2023. He has been a great partner who built a new and improved organization structure and drove significant improvement in team engagement," Little said.