{{short description|American business executive (born 1951)}} {{Infobox person | name = Donald Knauss | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1951}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = | other_names = | known_for = | education = | alma_mater = Indiana University Bloomington | employer = | occupation = Businessman | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | political_party = | boards = | spouse = | children = | parents = | relatives = }} '''Donald R. Knauss''' (born 1951) is an American business executive. He is a former chief executive officer of Clorox.
==Early life== Knauss has a BA in history from Indiana University Bloomington, graduating in 1977.<ref name=reuters/><ref name=forbesceo/>
==Career== Knauss commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, initially serving in Hawaii in 1978 as an Artillery Officer; he left in 1981 and took up a position with Procter & Gamble.<ref name=socha>{{cite book|last1=Socha|first1=Rudy|title=Above and Beyond: Former Marines Conquer the Civilian World|date=2005|publisher=Turner Publishing|isbn=9781596520400|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YQ3y_u7OSTMC&q=donald+knauss&pg=PA123}}</ref>
Knauss worked for Frito-Lay and Tropicana, mainly in marketing, although he also was head of the southeast sales department for Frito-Lay.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Deen|first1=Lango|title=Coca-Cola Exec Imparts Secrets of Success|journal=Hispanic Engineer & IT|date=Nov–Dec 2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4N0SBt5NFrcC&q=donald+knauss&pg=PA16}}</ref>
Knauss was head of the North American operations of The Coca-Cola Company.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Olson|first1=Parmy|title=From Soda To Bleach: Coke's Knauss Is New Clorox CEO|url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/08/31/donald-knauss-clorox-0831autofacescan01.html|website=Forbes|accessdate=10 June 2015|date=August 31, 2006}}</ref>
In 2006, Knauss became the Chief Executive Officer of Clorox. According to Forbes he received $21.8 million compensation from 2007 to 2012; $6.37m remuneration in 2012, making him the 11th highest-earning CEO in household and personal products.<ref name=forbesceo>{{cite web|title=CEO Compensation: #272 Donald R Knauss|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2012/12/ceo-compensation-12_Donald-R-Knauss_89WG.html|website=Forbes|accessdate=11 June 2015}}</ref> In November 2014, Knauss stepped down as CEO of Clorox but remained as chairman. Knauss was succeeded by Benno Dorer, who had been Clorox's executive VP and chief operating officer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Clorox CEO Donald Knauss steps down|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/clorox-ceo-idUSL3N0RJ63420140918|website=Reuters|accessdate=10 June 2015|date=Sep 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Dulaney|first1=Chelsey|title=Former Clorox CEO Knauss Leaving Executive Chairman Post|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/clorox-names-george-harad-chairman-1431695294?tesla=y|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 15, 2015}}</ref>
Knauss holds key roles at three companies: Clorox Company (director and chairman of the board), McKesson Corporation (independent director), URS Corporation (director) and Kellogg Company (director). In addition, in 2014 he was appointed to the newly created position at Clorox of executive chairman. While CEO at Clorox, Knauss led the 2007 purchase of Burt's Bees for $925m, which was in response to the firm's sluggish growth in other areas.<ref name=reuters/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Neff|first1=Jack|title='We're Not Your Father's Clorox' CEO Don Knauss Talks Marketing|url=http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/clorox-ceo-don-knauss-talks-marketing/292209/|website=Ad Age|accessdate=11 June 2015|date=March 24, 2014}}</ref>
In the fiscal year of 2014, with Knauss in these executive roles, Clorox generated $5.6bn.<ref name=reuters>{{cite web|title=Press Release" Benno Dorer Promoted to Clorox CEO; Don Knauss to Continue as Chairman|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/18/idUSnMKWBMS5Pa+1fa+MKW20140918|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129092436/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/18/idUSnMKWBMS5Pa+1fa+MKW20140918|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 November 2014|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=18 November 2014}}</ref>
==Civic activities== Knauss is the chairman of the board of trustees at the University of San Diego, where he has served as a board member since 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.edu/about/administration/board-of-trustees.php|title=Board of Trustees – University of San Diego|website=www.sandiego.edu|access-date=2016-10-17}}</ref> The Knass School of Business at the University of San Diego is named for Knauss and his wife, Ellie, in recognition of their philanthropic support.<ref>{{Cite web |title=$50 Million Gift Creates The Knauss School of Business |url=https://www.sandiego.edu/news/detail.php?_focus=83556 |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=www.sandiego.edu |language=en}}</ref> He is also on the board of trustees of the US Marine Corps University Foundation,<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Knauss|url=http://www.mcuf.org/bio_knauss.html|website=Marine Corps University Foundation website|accessdate=11 June 2015}}</ref> a member of the Economic Advisory Council At Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and on the board of trustees for the University Foundation and Morehouse College. Knauss is on the Dean's advisory board at the College of Arts & Sciences at Indiana University and the board of directors of the Grocery Manufacturers of America and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.<ref>{{cite web|title=Executive Profile* Donald R. Knauss|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=154400&ticker=CLX|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141118084701/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=154400&ticker=CLX|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 18, 2014|publisher=Bloomberg|accessdate=18 November 2014}}</ref>
Knauss also has a strong interest in baseball, being responsible for the controversial renaming of the Houston Astros' stadium after Minute Maid<ref>{{cite news|title=Juicy new name for Enron stadium|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2027849.stm|accessdate=11 June 2015|work=BBC|date=June 5, 2002}}</ref> and campaigning to keep the Oakland Athletics in Oakland.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thorsen|first1=Nina|title=Clorox CEO to A's: Keep Team in Oakland or Sell|url=http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2012/05/03/clorox-ceo-wants-to-keep-the-as-in-oakland|website=KQED|accessdate=11 June 2015|date=May 3, 2012}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/business/don-knauss-of-clorox-on-putting-your-followers-first.html New York Times interview]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Knauss, Donald}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Coca-Cola people Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni Category:American chief executives Category:United States Marine Corps officers