Kenvue Inc. (“Kenvue” or the “Company”) (NYSE: KVUE), the world’s largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue, today announced the implementation of a Board of Directors (“the Board”) succession process, in line with the Company’s commitment to best-in-class corporate governance and independent Board oversight.
Appointment of Two New Independent Directors to the Board
The Board has appointed Kathleen M. Pawlus and Kirk L. Perry as new independent directors, effective August 15, 2024, and December 1, 2024, respectively.
Ms. Pawlus brings over 40 years of audit, finance, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, quality, information technology and administration experience to the Company, having previously served as a partner at Ernst and Young, LLP (“EY”) and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of its Global Assurance group. Upon joining the Board, Ms. Pawlus will serve as a member of the Audit Committee.
Mr. Perry currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Circana, a global provider of technology, data, and predictive analytics for the consumer, retail and media sectors. He is a seasoned consumer products and brand strategist, with more than 30 years of consumer packaged goods and technology experience at two of the world’s largest and most respected companies, Procter & Gamble and Google. Upon joining the Board, Mr. Perry will serve as a member of the Compensation & Human Capital Committee.
“Entering our second year as an independent public company, our Board succession process will ensure our Board of Directors further strengthens our diverse mix of backgrounds and skills, as well as independent director oversight, as our leadership executes our revenue and margin growth plan and we maintain our commitment to and focus on driving shareholder value,” said Larry Merlo, Chair, Kenvue Board of Directors. “We are pleased that Kathleen and Kirk will join our Board. Kathleen and Kirk are highly experienced global leaders with strong track records in finance, consumer brands, and technology. Kathleen brings deep expertise across finance and accounting as well as strategy and operations, and Kirk brings a deep background in consumer packaged goods, brand management, strategy, operations, and technology. We are confident they will be valuable additions to our Board and look forward to gaining from their additional insights.”
“I am thrilled to join the Kenvue Board during this important phase in the Company’s evolution,” said Ms. Pawlus. “I look forward to leveraging my experience and collaborating with my fellow directors and management to help accelerate the momentum underway as Kenvue continues to advance toward its ambition to become the undisputed leader in consumer health.”
“I am eager to begin working alongside the rest of the Kenvue Board and supporting the management team as the Company executes against its strategic priorities,” said Mr. Perry. “It’s an honor to join the Board and be a part of bringing Kenvue’s iconic brands to market to positively impact people’s health and wellness.”
Resignation of Two Current Johnson & Johnson Executives from Board
Following the sale of Johnson & Johnson’s remaining stake in Kenvue in May 2024, Peter M. Fasolo, Ph.D., and Joseph J. Wolk, current Johnson & Johnson executives, advised Kenvue’s Board that they will resign from the Board, effective in December 2024, at the time Mr. Perry is expected to join the Board. Following the implementation of this Board succession process, Kenvue expects the Board to be composed of 11 directors, 10 of whom will be independent, as of the Company’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Mr. Merlo concluded, “On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Peter and Joe for their tremendous contributions as Kenvue separated from Johnson & Johnson. They provided valuable support as the Company formulated and executed on its new strategy, and we appreciate their partnership at such an important time for the business.”
“The Kenvue Leadership Team and I are grateful for Peter’s and Joe’s commitment to making Kenvue’s separation a smooth and successful transition,” added Thibaut Mongon, Chief Executive Officer, Kenvue. “We look forward to welcoming Kathleen and Kirk to our Board as we focus on reaching more consumers, reinventing our ways of working to invest more behind our brands, and fostering a culture that rewards performance and impact as we deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”
About Kathleen M. Pawlus
Kathleen Pawlus previously served as partner of EY, and as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of EY’s Global Assurance group, which is one of the largest of EY’s four service lines and includes its Audit Practice, Fraud, Investigation and Dispute Services Practice, Climate Change and Sustainability Services Practice and its Financial Accounting Advisory Services Practice. She spent her entire career at EY and brings more than four decades of experience to Kenvue. Prior to her role as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of EY’s Global Assurance group, she served as EY’s Americas Chief Financial Officer, Global PBFA Function Leader and U.S. Firm Chief Financial Officer responsible for finance, IT operations, treasury, purchasing and facilities. Ms. Pawlus served on EY’s U.S. Executive Board from 2006 to 2012. She currently serves as a board member of AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. Ms. Pawlus has a B.S. from Indiana University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
About Kirk L. Perry
Kirk Perry currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Circana, a global provider of technology, data, and predictive analytics for the consumer, retail and media sectors. He brings a deep understanding of the global consumer marketplace from both the manufacturer and technology-based service provider perspective, with more than 30 years of consumer packaged goods and technology experience. Prior to joining Circana, Mr. Perry served as President, Global Client and Agency Solutions at Google, and was responsible for driving Google’s global revenue and growing its relationships with the world’s largest advertisers and advertising agencies. Before Google, Mr. Perry spent 23 years with Procter & Gamble, where he held several positions of increasing responsibility in general management and marketing roles, including President of Global Family Care; Vice President, U.S. Operations and North America Marketing, Procter & Gamble’s biggest region; and Vice President, North America Baby Care. Mr. Perry currently serves as a board member of The J.M. Smucker Company and Chick-Fil-A, Inc., a privately owned restaurant company. He previously served as a director of e.l.f. Beauty and Hillerich & Bradsby Co. (Louisville Slugger), a privately owned sporting goods manufacturer. He has a B.B.A. from the University of Cincinnati.
About Kenvue
Kenvue is the world’s largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue. Built on more than a century of heritage, our iconic brands, including Aveeno®, BAND-AID® Brand, Johnson’s®, Listerine®, Neutrogena® and Tylenol®, are science-backed and recommended by healthcare professionals around the world. At Kenvue, we believe in the extraordinary power of everyday care and our teams work every day to put that power in consumers’ hands and earn a place in their hearts and homes. Learn more at www.kenvue.com.
Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, changes to the Board of Directors. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “plans,” “expects,” “will,” “anticipates,” “estimates” and other words of similar meaning. Readers are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations of future events. A list and descriptions of risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Kenvue’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings, available at www.kenvue.com or on request from Kenvue. Kenvue and its affiliates undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or developments or otherwise.
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