Benno Dorer

{{Short description|German businessperson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2012}} {{Infobox person | name = Benno Dorer | image =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age |1964}} | birth_place = Furtwangen im Schwarzwald, Germany | death_date =  | death_place = | other_names = | alma_mater = University of Freiburg<br>Saarland University | spouse = | predecessor = Donald Knauss | occupation = Chair and CEO, The Clorox Company | boards = VF Corporation, Grocery Manufacturers Association | known_for = }}

'''Benno O. Dorer''' (born 1964) is a German businessperson. With the entirety of his career in the consumer goods industry,<ref name="LinkedIn">{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/benno-dorer-364126/|title=Benno Dorer's LinkedIn profile|website=linkedin.com|access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> he has been the CEO and Chair of Clorox since November 2014 and August 2016, respectively.<ref name="Clorox Co">{{Cite web|url= https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/who-we-are/corporate-governance/executive-team/benno-dorer/ |title= Benno Dorer: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |publisher= The Clorox Company |access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref> He began his career with Procter & Gamble, in 1990,<ref name="LinkedIn"/> then held a series of senior positions at Clorox, starting in 2005, then becoming CEO in 2014.<ref name="Bloomberg">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=13649410&privcapId=89450 |title=Company Overview of the Clorox Company |publisher= Bloomberg |access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> An original signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity and inclusion pledge;<ref name="Cosmetic Design">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Article/2017/06/26/Personal-care-and-cosmetics-leaders-take-on-unconscious-bias-against-race-and-gender |title=Personal Care and Cosmetics Leaders Take On Unconscious Bias Against Race and Gender |date=June 25, 2017 |publisher=Cosmetic Design |access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> Dorer was the highest-rated CEO in the United States in the Glassdoor 2017 Employees' Choice Awards.<ref name="Eades">{{Cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/john-eades/the-highest-rated-ceo-of-2017-just-gave-a-masterclass-in-leadership.html |title=he Highest Rated CEO of 2017 Just Gave a Masterclass in Leadership|publisher=Cosmetic Design |last=Eades |first=John |date=27 June 2017| access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> He serves on the board of directors of the VF Corporation,<ref name="Clorox Co"/> and is vice-chair of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.<ref name="Bloomberg"/>

In 2023, Dorer was listed as Interim President and CEO of VF Corporation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Executive Leadership Team |url=https://www.vfc.com/our-company/executive-leadership-team |publisher=VF Corporation |access-date=20 January 2013}}</ref>

== Early life and education == Dorer was born in 1964, in Furtwangen im Schwarzwald.<ref name="Pleasant Bosses">{{Cite web|url=https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/business/pleasant-bosses |title= Pleasant Bosses |publisher=How Germany Ticks |date=21 August 2017 |access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> Growing up in the Black Forest of Germany, he sawed wood until the age of 14, and also worked for the Siedle company, during holidays. Dorer is multilingual,<ref name="Clorox Co"/> and graduated from the Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium in Furtwagenving to Freiburg, where he earned a degree in economics from the University of Freiburg, in 1986.<ref name="LinkedIn"/> He then earned a graduate degree<ref name="Bloomberg"/> in business administration from Saarland University, in 1990.<ref name="LinkedIn"/>

== Career == === Procter & Gamble === Following his 1990 graduation from college,<ref name="BizJournals.com.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/11/09/most-admired-ceos-2017-benno-dorer-clorox.html|title=Benno Dorer shares the secret to his success and popularity at Clorox |publisher=BizJournals.com.com| date=9 November 2017| access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> Dorer began his career at Procter & Gamble (P&G), where he held a number of executive positions<ref name="Mercury News">{{Cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/09/18/clorox-names-dorer-as-new-ceo/|title=Clorox names Dorer as new CEO |publisher=The Mercury News| date=18 September 2018| access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> in Germany over a five-year span, then, after 1995, worked out of Stockholm, Sweden, Brussels, Belgium,<ref name="Clorox Co"/> and Cincinnati, Ohio.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2017/08/23/prominent-ceos-among-1-500-former-p-gers-to.html |title=Prominent CEOs among 1,500 former P&Gers to descend on Cincinnati |publisher=BizJournals.com| last=Brunsman |first=Barrett J. |date=23 August 2017| access-date=17 January 2019}}</ref> At P&G, he also variously oversaw marketing for laundry, beauty and care, paper products, and home care,<ref name="vfc.com">[https://www.vfc.com/news/press-releases/detail/1615/carol-l-roberts-and-benno-dorer-elected-to-vf Carol L. Roberts and Benno Dorer Elected to VF Corporation’s Board of Directors", Vanessa McCutchen, VF Corporation. Accessed 17 January 2019.]</ref> and led the marketing organization of the joint venture between Clorox and The Glad Products Company.<ref name="Clorox Co"/>

===Clorox === In January 2005, he joined Clorox as vice-president and general manager of its Glad Products division.<ref>[http://fortune.com/2014/09/23/clorox-ceo-benno-dorer/ "Lessons from the kitty litter wars for incoming Clorox CEO Benno Dorer", by Phil Wahba, ''Fortune'', 23 September 2014.]</ref><ref name="Mercury News"/> From March to October 2007, he was VP and general manager of the household division at Clorox, then was VP and general manager of the cleaning division, until June 2009, when he became the division's senior VP. In March 2011, he became the senior VP of Canada at Clorox, as well, holding the role until late 2012. On 1 January 2013, he was named Clorox's executive VP and CEO for cleaning, international units, and corporate strategy. During this time, Dorer and Clorox CEO Donald Knauss "worked closely together to lead the Clorox 2020 strategy," of cutting supply and operational costs while increasing personal care sales. Dorer also sought to stated he would focus the company on "markets with the highest profit potential."

Dorer became CEO of Clorox on November 20, 2014, succeeding Donald Knauss.<ref name="Mercury News"/><ref>[https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/clorox-ceo-follow-p-g-marketing-cuts/295112/ "Why New Clorox CEO Won't Mimic Alma Mater P&G's Marketing Cuts", by Jack Neff, AdAge 24 September 2014.]</ref> While CEO, Dorer also became the Clorox chairman on August 15, 2016.<ref name="Bloomberg"/><ref name="Clorox Co"/> As of 2016, Dorer reportedly owned approximately 27,000 Clorox shares then worth US$3.4 million,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidermole.com/insider/dorer-benno-o|title=Benno O Dorer Insider Trading Overview|website=www.insidermole.com|access-date=2016-09-12}}</ref> and his annual compensation that year amounted to $8.9 million.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/brief-clorox-co-says-chairman-and-ceo-be/brief-clorox-co-says-chairman-and-ceo-benno-dorers-2017-total-compensation-was-8-mln-sec-filing-idUSFWN1M30KO "BRIEF-Clorox Co says chairman and CEO Benno Dorer's 2017 total compensation was $8 mln", SEC Filing‍, ''Reuters'', 22 September 2017.]</ref> He remained CEO as of 2017, stating to media outlets that Clorox was continuing to focus on services such as online grocery shopping and e-commerce.<ref>[https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/08/23/clorox-amazon-grocery-delivery-amzn-clx-sjm-pg.html "Clorox CEO says Amazon’s grocery service delivered surprises, including a boost in its ecommerce growth", ''San Francisco Business Times'' 23 August 2017.]</ref>

==Boards and memberships ==

Since 2017, Dorer has served on the board of VF Corporation.<ref name="Clorox Co"/><ref name="vfc.com"/> He is also vice-chair of the grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).<ref name="Clorox Co"/> Dorer has advocated for diversity in business,<ref>[https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/highest-rated-ceos-share-the-business-case-for-diversity-and-inclusion/ "Highest Rated CEOs Share the Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion", ''Glassdoor'', 9 August 2017.]</ref><ref>[https://www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/highest-rated-ceos-share-the-business-case-for-diversity-and-inclusion/ “Clorox CEO on How to Just Win, and Why Diversity Is So Important: Rewind,” thestreet.com 7 October 2017.]</ref> emphasizing the business case and the significant roles of CEOs in furthering societal change,<ref>[https://www.newonline.org/news-insights/news/we-must-get-uncomfortable-drive-di-ceos-say “We Must Get Uncomfortable to Drive D&I,” Network of Executive Women, January 2018.]</ref> and was an original signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge in 2017.<ref name="Cosmetic Design"/>

== Awards ==

Dorer was the highest-rated CEO in the United States in the Glassdoor 2017 Employees' Choice Awards,<ref name="Eades"/><ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-ceo-in-america-clorox-2017-6 "Employees reveal why they're so excited to work for the most beloved CEO in America, who runs an $18 billion company", Aine Cain, ''Business Insider'', 21 June 2017.]</ref> earning a 99 percent approval rating from employees.<ref>[https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/11/09/most-admired-ceos-2017-benno-dorer-clorox.html "Benno Dorer shares the secret to his success and popularity at Clorox", ''San Francisco Business Times'', 9 November 2017.]</ref><ref name="Inc">[https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/americas-top-rated-ceo-just-taught-a-brilliant-lesson-in-leadership-here-it-is-i.html "Brilliant Lesson in Leadership. Here It Is in 1 Sentence", by Justin Bariso, ''Inc'' 26 June 2017.]</ref><ref name="USA Today">[https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/06/24/clorox-tops-list-100-highest-rated-ceos/103152114/ "The most beloved CEO in the US shares his No. 1 piece of career advice", ''CNBC'' 20 June 2017.]</ref><ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/06/24/clorox-tops-list-100-highest-rated-ceos/103152114/ "Clorox tops list of 100 highest-rated CEOs", by Sophia Tulip, ''USA Today'', 24 June 2017.]</ref> Sources attributed the ranking to management tactics that included transparency, emphasizing results, giving workers flexibility,<ref name="Inc"/><ref name="USA Today"/><ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americas-top-rated-ceo-isnt-a-household-name-clorox-company-benno-dorer/ "America's top-rated CEO isn't a household name Aimee Picchi", by Aimee Picchi, ''CBS News'', 21 June 2017.]</ref> and encouraging debate.<ref name="BizJournals.com.com"/>

He was named among the Bay Area's Most Admired CEOs of 2017 by the ''San Francisco Business Times''.<ref>[http://www.bayareacouncil.org/economy/who-are-the-bay-areas-most-admired-ceos/ "Who Are the Bay Area's Most Admired CEOs", Bay Area Council, 2017.]</ref> The following year, Dorer was named to the junior Achievement Northern California Business hall of Fame<ref>[https://www.juniorachievement.org/web/ja-norcal/sf-hall-of-fame-2018 "JA Northern California Business Hall of Fame", Junior Achievement Northern California Business Hall of Fame, 1 May 2018.]</ref> and, in 2018, named as the Out & Equal CEO of the Year.<ref>[https://affinityincmagazine.com/momentum-gala-celebration/ “Momentum Gala Celebration,” ''Affinity Inc.'' Magazine, 16 April 2018.]</ref>

== Personal life ==

Dorer has resided in the Northern California Bay Area,<ref>[https://www.barrons.com/articles/barrons-100-most-sustainable-companies-1517605530 "Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies", by Leslie P. Norton, ''Barron's'', 3 February 2018.]</ref> since 2005.<ref name="Pleasant Bosses"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/who-we-are/corporate-governance/executive-team/benno-dorer/ Benno Dorer at TheCloroxCompany.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorer, Benno}} Category:Living people Category:American chief executives Category:German chief executives Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:University of Freiburg alumni Category:Saarland University alumni Category:1964 births