Vanessa Catherine
About Vanessa Catherine
Vanessa Catherine is the Global Sustainability Brand & Retail E2E Strategy & Capability Leader at Procter & Gamble, with extensive experience in sustainability and innovation roles across various regions.
Title and Current Role at Procter & Gamble
Vanessa Catherine holds the position of Global Sustainability Brand & Retail - E2E Strategy & Capability Leader at Procter & Gamble. In this role, she is responsible for developing and executing comprehensive sustainability strategies across the company’s brand and retail platforms. Her work involves leading extensive end-to-end strategy initiatives to amplify P&G's sustainability efforts globally.
Previous Roles at Procter & Gamble
Vanessa Catherine has a rich history with Procter & Gamble, spanning several key positions. From 2020 to 2022, she was the Global Sustainability Brand Director. Prior to that, she served as the Disruptive Innovation & Sustainability Brand Manager from 2018 to 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. Vanessa also took on the role of New Business Creation - Social & Sustainable Innovation Intrapreneur from 2014 to 2017, where she worked out of Nairobi, Kenya, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Additionally, she was the R&D Product Innovation Manager for Fabric Care Global from 2009 to 2014, also based in Brussels. Her career at P&G began as an R&D Intern in Packaging & Consumer Insights in Beijing, China, in 2008.
Educational Background and Expertise
Vanessa Catherine has a diverse educational background, enhancing her expertise in sustainability and innovation. In 2023, she completed a course on Disruptive Innovation at Harvard Business School Online. She earned her Master’s degree in Physics and Chemistry from the Graduate School of Physics and Chemistry of Bordeaux (ENSCPB) between 2004 and 2008. Before that, from 2002 to 2004, she studied Physics and Chemistry at Classe Preparatoire, Janson de Sailly.
Early Career Experiences and Internships
Vanessa Catherine’s early career includes several internships that laid a strong foundation for her future roles. In 2007, she interned at Danone as an R&D Intern focusing on Water & Drinks in Paris, France. The following year, she had another R&D Internship at Procter & Gamble in Beijing, China, focusing on Packaging & Consumer Insights. She also gained research experience as an intern at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) in Quebec City, Canada, in 2006, where she worked on Water & Sustainability projects.
Achievements and Initiatives at Procter & Gamble
Vanessa Catherine has led several key initiatives and projects at Procter & Gamble. She has been instrumental in the development of the 'It's Our Home' platform and Ambition 2030 sustainability initiatives. Her efforts in building partnerships with top global retailers have significantly advanced Procter & Gamble's sustainability strategy. Moreover, she has created and taken on 'intrapreneur' roles, collaborating with NGOs, local stakeholders, and entrepreneurs in Africa to address sustainability and resource access challenges. Her leadership also included steering the Fabric Care Product Innovation pipeline to cater to developing markets.