A.G. Lafley

One of the most celebrated management leaders of the past decade, A.G. Lafley is Procter & Gamble's former chairman of the board, CEO, and president, serving from 2000 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2015. In 2015, he stepped down as CEO to become executive chairman of P&G, eventually retiring in June 2016.

While in charge at P&G, Lafley led a turnaround that continues to astound competitors and business observers. During his time as CEO, sales doubled, profits quadrupled, P&G's market value increased by more than $100 billion dollars, and its portfolio of billion-dollar brands like Tide, Pampers, Olay, and Gillette grew from 10 to 24 behind his focus on consumer-driven innovation and reliable, sustainable growth. He also brought Swiffer and Febreze under the Procter & Gamble umbrella during his tenure.

Lafley's presentations are an unprecedented look into the mind behind one of the largest and most successful, corporations in the world. He helps audiences understand the challenge of achieving sustainable growth, the type of growth that can only be achieved through innovation and by setting and creating goals, strategies, structures, systems, leadership, culture, purpose, and values to support it. Lafley is perfect for groups of top management teams, global leadership executives, and high-potential leaders who can meaningfully impact the future course of their companies and industries. He is known for his open dialogues during presentations and great for audiences who want more than a canned keynote. Lafley's areas of expertise include industry and company transformations, business strategy, business models, branding, innovation, and leadership.

Lafley graduated from Hamilton College in 1969 and joined the U.S. Navy in 1970, where he oversaw retail and service operations in Japan for several thousand Navy and Marine corps and their families. After the Navy, he earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and joined P&G in 1977. Starting in marketing, Lafley moved up through the company's laundry and cleaning businesses, delivering record results. He went on to run operations in Asia and North America and then started-up P&Gs first global beauty business before his CEO appointment in 2000.

Lafley has been honored with some of the highest recognitions in business, including Chief Executive magazines CEO of the Year, the Peterson Award for Business Statesmanship, and the Warren Bennis Award for Leadership Excellence. He also received the prestigious Edison Achievement Award for Innovation and is just one of a handful of business CEOs to ever receive the honor. He was inducted into the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame and the Advertising Hall of Fame. Additionally, Lafley is the co-author of "The Game Changer," a guide to turning innovation into strategic advantage and selected as one of Bloomberg Businessweek's top 10 business books. He also authored several Harvard Business Review articles on strategy, innovation, and leadership including the renowned What Only the CEO Can Do. His 2013 book, "Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works," provides a practical approach to developing and executing a winning strategy.

Lafley currently is a special advisor at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice; a director at General Electric and Legendary Pictures; and a chairman at Hamilton College. He is a highly sought-after speaker, teacher, consultant, and coach on strategy, innovation, and leadership development.