# Donald Knauss > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Donald_Knauss > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Donald_Knauss.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knauss > Source revision: 1353591830 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/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](/source/chief_executive_officer) of [Clorox](/source/Clorox). ==Early life== Knauss has a BA in history from [Indiana University Bloomington](/source/Indiana_University_Bloomington), graduating in 1977. ==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](/source/Procter_%26_Gamble).{{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}} Knauss worked for [Frito-Lay](/source/Frito-Lay) and [Tropicana](/source/Tropicana_Products), mainly in marketing, although he also was head of the southeast sales department for Frito-Lay.{{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}} Knauss was head of the North American operations of [The Coca-Cola Company](/source/The_Coca-Cola_Company).{{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}} 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.{{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}} In November 2014, Knauss stepped down as CEO of Clorox but remained as chairman. Knauss was succeeded by [Benno Dorer](/source/Benno_Dorer), who had been Clorox's executive VP and [chief operating officer](/source/chief_operating_officer).{{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}}{{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}} Knauss holds key roles at three companies: [Clorox Company](/source/Clorox_Company) (director and [chairman of the board](/source/chairman_of_the_board)), [McKesson Corporation](/source/McKesson_Corporation) (independent director), [URS Corporation](/source/URS_Corporation) (director) and [Kellogg Company](/source/Kellogg_Company) (director). In addition, in 2014 he was appointed to the newly created position at Clorox of [executive chairman](/source/executive_chairman). While CEO at Clorox, Knauss led the 2007 purchase of [Burt's Bees](/source/Burt's_Bees) for $925m, which was in response to the firm's sluggish growth in other areas.{{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}} In the fiscal year of 2014, with Knauss in these executive roles, Clorox generated $5.6bn.{{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}} ==Civic activities== Knauss is the chairman of the board of trustees at the [University of San Diego](/source/University_of_San_Diego), where he has served as a board member since 2008.{{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}} 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.{{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}} He is also on the [board of trustees](/source/board_of_trustees) of the US Marine Corps University Foundation,{{cite web|title=Donald Knauss|url=http://www.mcuf.org/bio_knauss.html|website=Marine Corps University Foundation website|accessdate=11 June 2015}} a member of the Economic Advisory Council At [Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco](/source/Federal_Reserve_Bank_of_San_Francisco), and on the [board of trustees](/source/board_of_trustees) for the University Foundation and [Morehouse College](/source/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](/source/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association).{{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}} Knauss also has a strong interest in baseball, being responsible for the controversial renaming of the [Houston Astros](/source/Houston_Astros)' stadium after Minute Maid{{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}} and campaigning to keep the [Oakland Athletics](/source/Oakland_Athletics) in Oakland.{{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}} ==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] {{Authority control}} {{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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Donald Knauss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knauss) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knauss?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.