Kenvue, the Johnson & Johnson spinoff that is the world’s largest pure-play consumer health company by revenue, announced this week that it has appointed Kathleen Pawlus and Kirk Perry as new independent directors.
Pawlus will assume her role Aug. 15; Perry will assume his role Dec. 1.
Pawlus brings more than 40 years of audit, finance, strategy, mergers & acquisitions, quality, information technology and administration experience to Kenvue, having previously served as a partner at Ernst & Young, and chief financial officer and chief operating officer of its global assurance group. Upon joining the board, Pawlus will serve as a member of the Audit Committee.
Perry currently serves as CEO 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, Perry will serve as a member of the Compensation and Human Capital Committee.
Kenvue board Chair Larry Merlo applauded the announcement.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Pawlus said she is eager to join the board.
“I am thrilled to join the Kenvue board during this important phase in the company’s evolution,” she said. “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.”
Perry agreed.
“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,” he said. “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.”
Following the sale of Johnson & Johnson’s remaining stake in Kenvue in May, Peter Fasolo and Joseph Wolk, current Johnson & Johnson executives, advised Kenvue’s board that they would resign from the board, effective in December. At the time, 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.
