01.19.12
With it's efforts bearing fruit already in China and much of Asia, Procter & Gamble Chief Executive Officer Robert McDonald said the world’s largest consumer-products company is increasing sales and philanthropic efforts in regions such as Pakistan and parts of Africa.
“We have an amazing congruence between what other people call corporate social responsibility and our business-building efforts,” McDonald said yesterday.
Despite turmoil in Pakistan, P&G's business has grown fivefold in the past decade, McDonald said. Growth there will continue at the same pace or faster, he said. Last year, 14% of P&G’s $82.6 billion in revenue came from developing markets.
McDonald's remarks came at an event in Washington DC, where P&G was recognized bySecretary of State Hillary Clinton for programs including water-purification projects, mobile health clinics in Nigeria and Pakistan, and relief work in the latter following the extensive floods in 2010.
McDonald called Africa “the next frontier” for P&G. Business in North Africa “has come back very strongly” following revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, he said.
“It’s not like because people are rioting in the street, you’re suddenly not going to wash your clothes,” McDonald said. “The big issue, frankly, is water. To use our products you need water.” He said the average woman worldwide walks 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) a day to procure water.