In October 2008, Jim Stengel shocked the marketing world by leaving his prestigious role as Global Marketing Officer at Procter & Gamble, one of the most admired brand-building companies in the world. This bold move was Jim’s first step on a new mission to share his passion for growing business through a focus on higher ideals. To continue on his mission, Jim has embraced a variety of exciting roles: President/CEO of The Jim Stengel Company, LLC, author of Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies, speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau®, and advisor to several companies.
The Visionary Leader
Jim’s company is both a think tank and consultancy – conducting proprietary research, generating thought leadership and applying a new ideals-driven framework to drive business growth in today's global economy. The company’s mission is to inspire global business leaders to achieve higher performance by rethinking their ideal and all behaviors emanating from that ideal. Jim and his team have worked with clients in tech, fashion, retail, food service, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and wine/spirits.
The Author
Jim’s book Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World’s Greatest Companies, published by Crown Business, has been called a “must read” by best-selling author and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Based on a unique ten-year growth study involving 50,000 brands, Jim shows how the world’s fifty best businesses have a cause and effect relationship between financial performance and their ability to connect with fundamental human emotions, hopes, values, and greater purposes. Jim’s new book Unleashing the Innovators: How Mature Companies Find New Life with Startups shows how established companies partner with young, energetic startups to invigorate their culture and thrive. The book (scheduled for release by Crown Business in September 2017) draws on an original research study of 100 iconic companies and 100 startups that are currently engaged in partnerships. The study is done in collaboration with OgilvyRED, a global strategy think tank.
The Educator
One of Jim’s focus areas is to “give back” by inspiring younger people who will be the next generation of professionals in the field of business. In 2009, he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Marketing at the UCLA Anderson School of Management and taught for four years. Since 2011, Jim has served as Dean of the Young Marketers Academy at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. In 2013, he pioneered the CMO Accelerator program at the Cannes Lions Festival and continues to serve as Dean.
The Global Marketing Officer
Jim is the former Global Marketing Officer of $76B Procter & Gamble, where he oversaw an $8B advertising budget and had organizational responsibility for nearly 7,000 people. Highly regarded, his leadership was recognized in 2008 when P&G was honored as the 2008 Cannes International Advertising Festival Advertiser of the Year for the first time in company history.
Jim is best known for reinvigorating P&G’s marketing culture. In his seven years as Global Marketing Officer, he personally led the transformation that has firmly established P&G as one of the most admired brand-building companies in the world. P&G sales doubled during Jim’s tenure.
Prior to his promotion to P&G’s top advertising and marketing position in 2001, Jim had P&L responsibility for the company’s European baby care business. Previously, Jim held positions of increasing responsibility in P&G’s developing markets, Cosmetic, and Food businesses. He joined the company in1983, and before that spent four years at Time Incorporated in the Time-Life Books division.
Jim is widely known for leading innovation and for his commitment to building leading-edge marketing capabilities. As a result, he was recognized in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007 by Advertising Age as the number one “Power Player” in marketing. In 2005, he was recognized as Grand Marketer of the Year by Brandweek magazine, the same year P&G was named Marketer of the Year by Advertising Age magazine. Jim was named to the first-ever Fortune Executive Dream Team in 2011.
The Advisor
Jim is a former member of the Board of Directors for AOL and Motorola, where he chaired the Compensation & Leadership Committee. He is also a former advisory board member of MarketShare, until its sale to Neustar. Jim now serves as an Advisor for Myrian Capital, a private equity firm, is Chairman of the International Advisory Board for in/PACT, an interactive cause marketing firm, and serves as an Advisor for Compound, a venture capital firm. In the past, he served on the Board of The Advertising Council, and also served as Chairman of the Association of National Advertisers, and Chairman of the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame.
The Person
Jim grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in a family of six children. He holds a BA from Franklin & Marshall College, and an MBA from The Pennsylvania State University, Smeal School of Business. Jim and his wife Kathleen have two children and split their time between Cincinnati, Ohio and Coronado, California.
