Avon reorganises businesses
Chuck Cramb and Charles Herington to head newly created groups
Having suffered disappointing Q4 2010 sales results earlier this month, Avon Products has announced that it is realigning its management to help enhance the company’s operational effectiveness. In Avon’s most significant reorganisation since 2005, effective from 1 March, the company will reposition its six commercial business units into two major business groups: the Developed Market Group and the Developing Market Group. In conjunction with these changes, Avon has named its current vice chairman, chief finance and strategy officer Chuck Cramb as vice chairman of Avon’s Developed Market Group and Charles Herington as executive vp of its Developing Market Group.
The Developed Market Group comprises the commercial business units of North America and Western Europe, Middle East and Africa, including recent acquisitions Silpada and Liz Earle, while the Developing Market Group includes the commercial business units of Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific, under which Avon will now include China.
As part of Avon’s Developed Market Group, Jorge Martinez-Quiroga will act as senior vp and commercial business unit leader of Avon North America and Anna Segatti has been named senior vp and commercial business unit leader, Western Europe and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Srdjan Mijuskovic, senior vp and commercial business unit leader for Central and Eastern Europe; Angela Cretu, general manager, Avon Russia; and Bob Briddon, senior vp and commercial business unit leader, Asia Pacific including China will answer to Herington in the Developing Market Group.
In addition, the company is searching for a new chief financial officer and a commercial business unit leader to oversee its largest region, Latin America.
“The reduction in management layers in 2005 set the stage for renewed growth by enabling us to be faster and nimbler, but since then our business has grown significantly and become increasingly complex,” explains Avon chairman and ceo Andrea Jung. “The realigned management structure reflects this new reality and is designed to enhance the operational rigor and better position us to execute effectively across the portfolio.”