Women in the Industry: Deb Henretta

Acknowledged by Forbes and Fortune magazines as one of the world’s most powerful businesswomen, Deb Henretta began her career with P&G back in 1985 as a marketing assistant on Bold laundry detergent. Today, she is responsible for the company’s entire business in Asia, which comprises over 100 brands and is worth around $14 billion.

Since taking on her current role five years ago, the former communications student has worked solidly to grow P&G’s portfolio in the region and has driven development of the firm’s research and development and manufacturing capabilities, notably in Beijing, India, Vietnam and Singapore.

Among Henretta’s career highlights is the turnaround of P&G’s Pampers brand, which by 2005 she had helped grow into a $7 billion business. She is a member of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and is active in stimulating growth and investment opportunities for Singapore through the country’s Economic Strategies Committee. She also serves as one of three US representatives to the Business Council of APEC and is co-chair of the Trade Liberalisation Committee.

Henretta is also a dedicated family woman and is married with three children.

How did you get into the industry?

I was recruited out of Graduate School at Syracuse University by Procter & Gamble 25 years ago this May.

Who was your career inspiration?

My mother. She showed me that having a successful career and a family were not only possible, they were achievable and could be very fulfilling. From her I learned two important lessons about the power of possibilities; firstly life is less about what you are given as a starting point and more about what you make of what you are given and secondly that anything is possible if you put mind and your time to it.

What is your philosophy towards work?

Work is a very important aspect in my life to keep me intellectually stimulated, and encourages a curiosity to keep learning. That said, it is one aspect of my very multifaceted life. Looking at it philosophically, I don't live to work, I work to live!

Why aren’t there more women at the top in your field?

To be fair, there are a growing number of women making their way into top management though admittedly a far cry from the percentage of women in business at entry level (Over 50 per cent of our entry level new hires for example are female). I suspect some of the reason women haven't risen higher faster lies partly with the industry and companies themselves and partly with the leadership style of women.

From an industry standpoint, I think there is a certain style of leadership that has prevailed for decades and this accepted style plays a bit more to male strength areas than female. This style is more assertive, maybe sometimes even aggressive, and analytical than the more conceptual, collaborative, and passionate style of many women. It has been my experience that business can and does benefit from the combination of these different leadership and thinking styles.

Hopefully, as more women advance, there will be greater recognition and acknowledgement of these two approaches and benefits this diversity of thought can bring to a business.

Is the industry doing enough to attract female talent?

I think the industry is trying hard to attract top female talent and they have been increasingly more successful at doing so.

The key to getting more women at the top will be the ability for businesses to retain women over the long haul. Retention will be linked to three critical factors including an organisation's ability to provide meaningful learning/training experiences so women can develop the skills they need to succeed, its flexibility and open-mindedness to alternative leadership styles and to the way work gets done, with the latter focusing more on the results delivered versus the hours worked - a critically important nuance for women trying to juggle work and family and its ability to provide women with big, challenging work assignments so they can make a meaningful and lasting difference on the business.

Putting women in less important roles or on less important businesses will not give them the kind of experience or exposure needed to move up the ranks.

What advice would you give to young women looking to advance their careers?

I would offer four pieces of advice: find something you love doing. It has been my experience that you will find success when you are doing the things you love; have a can do attitude - don't waste time explaining why things can't get done, focus your time on getting things done. Always try to be part of the solution not part of the problem; and lead change.

Challenge the status quo seeking out new and better ways of doing things. Leading change requires your head to consider what needs to be changed and why; your heart to inspire others to support the change and your hands to create and implement a plan to make the change happen; and recognize that ‘juggling is part of the journey’. This becomes critically important as young women try and balance successful careers with family.

Young women should keep in mind there are many competing priorities in life. You need to make choices and be willing to accept the consequences of those choices. I have come to believe that women can have it all, just maybe not all at the same time. Finally, as young women begin to move up the corporate ladder, it is important to ‘lift as you climb’ so that they can help give future women leaders a chance for business success.

What was your biggest challenge in 2009?

Maintaining strong growth in light of the global economic crisis and the resulting market slowdowns we saw in several critical Asian markets. Thankfully, it appears that Asia is already on the road to recovery and will lead the globe out of the recession. This is good news for companies doing business in Asia, our consumers and our employees as well.

What was your biggest achievement?

I maintained growth despite the tough economic conditions using portfolio expansion to meet the needs of more consumers in more parts of Asia more completely.

What are your expectations for 2010?

I expect a steady rebounding of growth across Asia in many, if not all, of the categories in which we compete. This will be good for business and good for the Asian economies as a whole.