Procter & Gamble bares new general manager

MANILA, Philippines - Consumer goods manufacturing company Procter & Gamble, maker of household-name brands such as Safeguard, Downy, Pampers, Pantene, and Olay, announced a change in the leadership of the company in the Philippines.

Turkish national Siddik Tetik (photo) has been assigned as the new president and general manager of P&G Philippine starting July 2009, succeeding American James M. Lafferty, who will be taking an early retirement after leading the P&G business in Philippines for the past three years.

With the change in leadership, Lafferty said the company is poised to take on more challenges ahead and is geared to become a stronger player in the market. “We have been operating in this market for close to 75 years. The Philippines continues to be a very important market for P&G Mr. Siddik Tetik is poised to make our business here in the Philippines even stronger. Mr. Tetik is a seasoned P&G leader, who has been successful in managing our Gillette business in Greater China. He has vast experience in developing markets across the world, and he is the perfect fit to succeed me to take the P&G Philippines business to the next level,” Lafferty, said.

“I have spent 24 amazing years at P&G, the greatest company in the world. I love what I do, I love my team, and I have been humbled that someone like me with my rather modest beginning can rise up through the ranks with hard work and dedication and attain some of the roles I have worked in. Yet despite this, I have made it known quite publicly for many years that I would hope to be able to walk away early, when I still had the energy and youthful vigor, and pursue my other passions,” said Lafferty.

Tetik, meanwhile, said he is thankful for the new role that has been assigned to him and is prepared to lead the Philippine operations. “The Philippines continues to be an important market for P&G globally and Jim Lafferty has successfully built a very capable organization. This is an exciting market with lots of opportunities; I am committed to lead the Philippines operations to further growth,” said Tetik.

Lafferty is credited for strengthening the company’s organization, innovation and corporate responsibility programs in the Philippines. Under his management, P&G introduced breakthrough products to the market such as Downy “Isang Banlaw,” (Single Rinse) – a fabric conditioner that cuts the laundry rinsing process by more than 60 percent, giving the Filipino family significant savings in water usage, time, and effort. Laffertty spearheaded the company’s cause-marketing campaign “3-Pid Handog Edukasyon” program, a partnership with the GMA Kapuso Foundation that successfully provided school supplies to over 34,000 first grade students in the country to help them stay in school. In response to the perceived economic recession – Lafferty also introduced in the Philippine market the P&G Laundry “Taba” packs which aimed to provide consumers with improved value by offering more laundry products with no price increase.

Lafferty has been with Procter & Gamble since 1986, rising from the ranks and handling product categories in the United States, Middle East, Africa, and Western and Central Europe, before his assignment as president and general manager of the Philippine operations. Before his current assignment, he was vice president for the Family Care Category in Central and Western Europe, and was general manager for Poland and the East European markets.

Meanwhile, Tetik, is bringing with him a wealth of experience as the regional head of the Greater China Market for the total grooming business (Gillette and Braun) and Duracell. Among his achievements were the successful integration and transition of Gillette into P&G systems and processes during the merger in 2006. His brand-building mastery helped the grooming business maintain a lion’s share and helped strengthen the equity of the different grooming brands in China. Before his move to China Tetik was in important leadership positions for the Gillette Company, in varied geographies, including Turkey; the Middle East and Dubai; Israel, Malta, the Balkans; and the Mediterranean.