Church & Dwight Co., Inc. announced that James R. Craigie, 50, has been elected President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective July 6, 2004. He succeeds Robert A. Davies, III, 68, who will continue to be employed by the company as an active Chairman of the Board for an extended period.
“The Board of Directors is extremely pleased to have Jim Craigie bring his extensive experience and success in consumer marketing and strong leadership talent to Church & Dwight as we continue to grow. Over the past 20 years, Jim has gained a broad background in running diverse consumer products businesses, often in challenging business environments,” Mr. Davies said.
“I am excited to be joining Church & Dwight to work with Bob Davies and the management team as we continue to build on the company's impressive track record,” Mr. Craigie said.
Most recently, Mr. Craigie was President and Chief Executive Officer of Spalding Sports Worldwide, where he was recruited by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. in 1998 to spearhead a turnaround of the athletic equipment manufacturer and marketer. In that post, he led the restructuring and re-positioning of the company, and a number of new product initiatives for its Top-Flite, Strata, Ben Hogan, Etonic and Spalding brands. The company ultimately was sold in late 2003 through three transactions to maximize shareholder value.
Prior to that, he had spent 15 years with Kraft Foods/General Foods, Inc. most recently as Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Beverages and Desserts Division, which had sales of $2.5 billion. Before that, Mr. Craigie was Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Beverages Division; and headed the company's Dinners and Enhancers and Polly-O Dairy Products Divisions, following assignments as Marketing Director for several key brands including Maxwell House coffee.
