Kimberly-Clark Hires Craig Slavtcheff to Lead R&D Efforts
Kimberly-Clark is focusing on its product innovation efforts, hiring Craig Slavtcheff as its new chief research and development officer.
In the role, Slavtcheff will oversee a team of R&D scientists who are creating new proprietary innovations focused on consumer preferences, sustainability, and stronger brand equity.
"Kimberly-Clark has an impressive innovation track record, having played a critical role in inventing many of the categories it operates in today," said Slavtcheff. "With innovation as a pillar of the company's strategy, it's an exciting time to join Mike and the rest of the talented executive team to build on the company's momentum of accelerating pioneering innovation for Kimberly-Clark's next chapter of growth."
An Innovation Track Record
Slavtcheff brings three decades of experience in CPG R&D, having been named inventor on more than 70 U.S. and global patents and most recently serving as Campbell Soup Company’s EVP, chief R&D and innovation officer. In that role, he oversaw the company’s R&D efforts, focusing specifically on strategy, product development, and corporate science and technology. At Campbell’s, he introduced more agile design operations and incorporated technologies like AI and machine learning.
Prior to that, he held senior positions with Unilever and The Sun Products Corporation.
CEO Mike Hsu said Slavtcheff was hired for his science-backed expertise and tech-forward innovation, establishing a track record of driving innovation with business impact and creating superior products through deep consumer insights.
"We will benefit from his wealth of experience as we continue to leverage science as our competitive advantage and increase our focus and investment in category-shaping technology to make consumers' daily lives better," said Hsu.
[Kimberly-Clark also hired a new chief growth officer this year. Learn who took on the role. ]
Slavtcheff takes over for Robert Long, who is retiring from Kimberly-Clark after three years with the company and a total of 45 years in the CPG industry. Hsu shared that Long has made several contributions to the company, including establishing a strong foundation in material invention and product engineering that will support long-term growth.
"It has been a privilege to be a part of a company with such a strong history of category-defining innovation," said Long.
Interested in More From Kimberly-Clark?
During a panel at CGT’s upcoming Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit, Ankita Agarwal, global director of commercial transformation and analytics at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, will share her own organization’s efforts, identifying what winning RGM playbooks look like and how CPGs can achieve scalable growth via successful RGM strategies. Register to hear her speak.
