Kao Appoints First US Female Member & Former R&D VP To Global Management Team

Kao has announced two appointments to its global management team: Karen Frank, president, Consumer Care, AEMEA, and Dominic Pratt, president, salon, global, have been appointed executive officers effective Jan. 1.
 
With these appointments, Kao is recognizing the important role of the Kao businesses in the Americas and EMEA regions for the future globalization of the Kao Group while at the same time strengthening the international representation and diversity of their management board.
 
With their new roles,  Frank and  Pratt will be able to further strengthen the role of the AEMEA Consumer Products Business within the global business operations by giving the regions a strong voice within the Global Management Team and the ability to lead the businesses with faster decision making and greater autonomy, said Kao.
 
In addition, Kao said its consumer facing business in the Americas and EMEA regions with leading brands such as John Frieda and Jergens will now operate as Kao Consumer Care Business AEMEA. The renaming is a reflection of the future plans of the business to serve more consumers with a broader portfolio of brands beyond its current beauty focus, according to the Japanese consumer products giant, which occupies the No. 4 spot on Happi’s 2021 International Top 30 Report.
 
In addition to Jergens and John Frieda, Kao’s current portfolio includes brand such as Attack, Bioré, Goldwell, Kanebo, Laurier, Merries and Molton Brown.
 
Frank joined Kao in 2009 and has led the AEMEA consumer care business in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility over the years. She is currently president of the AEMEA Consumer Care Business and Kao USA. She has expertly handled the demands of both roles through her strong focus on the brand priorities, consumers and customers along with the development of the right team to lead the Consumer Care Business.
 
Pratt has been with the Kao since 2000, starting his career as senior scientist working primarily in hair color development, specifically the innovative Rainbow Technology, used in Goldwell Pure Pigments and other products. In 2015, he was appointed VP of R&D, European research laboratories, and since 2019, he has led the skin care research group in Kao’s Tokyo headquarters and was appointed president global salon in September 2021.