Kimberly-Clark Promotes Russ Torres to President and Chief Operating Officer
Kimberly-Clark Corporation recently announced that Russ Torres, President, North America, has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.
As President and COO, Torres will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Kimberly-Clark’s business segments. He will also have responsibility for the Global Supply Chain, R&D, Global Growth and Digital Technology Solutions organisations. Torres will continue to report to Mike Hsu, Kimberly-Clark’s Chairman and CEO. Kurt Laufer, current President of US Consumer Sales, will serve as Interim President, North America while the Company conducts a search to identify a permanent successor.
Torres has served as President of Kimberly-Clark’s North America business since October 2024, responsible for the Company’s personal care, family care and professional businesses in North America. Prior to that, he served as Group President, K-C North America from 2021, where he was responsible for the consumer business in North America, and as President of K-C Professional from 2020 to 2021, where he led business-to-business operations globally. Torres has more than 25 years of experience in the consumer product goods industry, and prior to Kimberly-Clark served in several key senior leadership roles at Newell Brands, Bain & Company and Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods).
“Russ is a purpose-driven leader who has driven commercial transformation and outstanding results in the businesses he has led. Under his leadership, Kimberly-Clark’s North America business strengthened its growth trajectory, achieving mid-single digit compound annual growth,” said Hsu. “As we embark on the next phase of our Powering Care strategy focused on bringing our global expertise and best-in-K-C proprietary technologies to every market, I’m excited to partner with Russ as we accelerate progress on our enterprise transformation. We’re more focused than ever on sharpening operational execution to drive enhanced growth and profitability. Russ is the right leader to take on this new role.”
There is incredible potential still to be unlocked at Kimberly-Clark, and I look forward to working with our teams around the world to continue to execute on Powering Care, build on the power of our brands across the mega categories we serve and usher in the next chapter of growth.
Russ Torres, Kimberly-Clark’s President and Chief Operating Officer
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries and territories. Fuelled by ingenuity, creativity and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, it creates products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. K-C’s portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70 countries. It uses sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities and ensure the business thrives for decades to come. The company is proud to be recognised as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere for the seventh year in a row and one of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies in America in 2024.
