Kao sets the direction for future growth
in the AEMEA region

- New organizational design with 3 business divisions and new pan-regional structure for functions and  operations
- Guido Kirchhoff to lead newly formed Global Operations Organization and Steve Cagle to head up Global Functions
 
Kao announces further steps to strengthen its business in the regions Americas as well as Europe, Middle East and Africa by creating a new pan-regional organizational structure for its Functions and Operations. Over the past two years, Kao has set the direction for future growth in its Consumer Products Business with the appointment of its three AEMEA Business Sector Presidents to its Global Management Board. With this new structure Kao aims to create more synergies and less duplications and complexity within the Functions and Operations across the regions to better support the business, fuel business growth for all business
sectors and create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for all its employees.
 
Effective April 1st, 2023, Guido Kirchhoff will take on the role as President, Global Operations leading a newly created AEMEA Supply Chain organization. Steve Cagle will be appointed President, Global Functions. Both Guido Kirchhoff and Steve Cagle will report to all three Sector Presidents in their new roles.
 
Guido Kirchhoff is a renowned supply chain expert who had several global assignments with Procter & Gamble and Wella – thereof seven years in the US – before he took over his first role at Kao in 2004 as the Global Supply Chain leader for the Salon business sector. Steve Cagle held several positions at Kraft General Foods, Alberto Culver and Helene Curtis, before he joined the former Kao Brands Company to lead its Supply Chain organization. Kirchhoff and Cagle have led the Functions Operations for EMEA and Americas, respectively, before taking on their newly created roles.
 
“Both Guido Kirchhoff and Steve Cagle have a proven track record of leading and developing diverse and broad organizations. Their experience will help us to form a strong pan-regional AEMEA organization to best support all of our three business sectors”, states Karen Frank, President Consumer Care Business AEMEA.
 
“Steve Cagle´s international experience and global mindset will be instrumental to bring the AEMEA Functions
together into one organization that truly reflects the legal, organizational, and cultural differences in the Americas and EMEA regions”, adds Dominic Pratt, President Kao Salon Division.
 
“Guido Kirchhoff has done an excellent job in integrating the Molton Brown business into the Kao Supply Chain operations when we acquired the brand. We fully trust his expertise to form a strong Operations organization fit to address the current and future challenges and ESG opportunities along our supply chain”,
says Mark Johnson, President Cosmetics Business, AEMEA.  

With these changes, the regional R&D Organizations will now report directly into the business leaders to ensure an ongoing, competitive and efficient innovation stream to fuel all sectors´ business growth. Conni Weaver, Vice President R&D, Americas Research Laboratories, will report into Karen Frank. Martin Uellner, Vice President R&D, European Research Laboratories will report into Dominic Pratt and Mark Johnson.