Lisa M. Edwards to join board of directors at Colgate-Palmolive

27-Feb-2019 - Last updated on 27-Feb-2019 at 14:51 GMT

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The Salesforce executive will take her seat at the table March 1st; and later this year 2 board members will retire. The leadership changes come at a time of transition for Colgate: the consumer products company’s next CEO takes his post in April.

Colgate publicized these most recent changes to its board of directors late last week, just days after announcing Noel Wallace as the company’s next CEO. The company’s current CEO Ian Cook will stay on beyond April as Chairman, helping Wallace acclimate to his new role. The press release detailing that succession explained that Cook would stay with Colgate for a full year if needed.

Though 12 months may not be necessary. Cook himself calls Wallace “a truly outstanding leader who is extremely well-prepared to lead Colgate after a highly successful 32-year career guiding Colgate businesses around the world,” as Cosmetics Design reported earlier.

Incoming

“We are delighted to welcome Ms. Edwards to the Board and are pleased that she will contribute her outstanding capabilities to Colgate,” Cook says in a media release about the board’s new director election.

Lisa M. Edwards is currently the executive vice president of strategic business operations, and customer and partner engagement at Salesforce.com. She joined the company in 2012 and for her first 5 years served as executive vice president of finance, head of global corporate services, and chief procurement officer. She’s also worked with Visa, Bain & Company, and for herself.

And the release notes that at “51, [Edwards] brings extensive leadership experience and expertise in finance, ecommerce and information technology to Colgate’s board.”

Outgoing

This year 2 board members are set to retire, according to Colgate. On May 19th Ellen Hancock will retire from the company’s board after some 30 years. “Ellen Hancock has our profound thanks for her immeasurable contributions to Colgate’s business success and governance excellence,” Cook tells the press; “and we extend our best wishes for her retirement.”

And at the end of this month Dennis Hickey will retire, having served on the board for 40+ years. Commenting on Hickey’s departure, Cook says, “Esteemed for his financial expertise and operational insights, Dennis has contributed greatly to Colgate's success for over four decades. We're extremely grateful for his leadership and wish him all the best in his retirement.”

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.