Rocio Arellano

Experience

• 

  Procter & Gamble

  Oct 1984 - Dec 2001

  Responsibilities: • Defined the upgrades or changes that the brands/products needed for the next 3 to 5 years. The changes included the product, the package, the concept and positioning, and even new recommended usages. The work also involved the technical qualification of the products and its validation with the consumer via different market/consumer research methodologies. Led the team that provided support to the actual introduction of the products into the market by determining usage instructions, recommending sampling quantities and targets, developing demos for advertising or other marketing activities and technically approving the commercials that would be aired. Identified new opportunities in the market (potential new products) or new routes that would increase the usage and consumption of the products beyond current habits, and therefore, its market share. Managed all personnel related aspects of the people in my department and I was assigned to look after the people who needed to be relocated or terminated when the Company decided to shut down the Mexico City Technical Center.• I was also in charge of identifying new opportunities in the market (potential new products) or new routes that would increase the usage ad consumption of our products beyond current habits, and therefore, its market share. * I was also the head of the Perfume Development Group for Fabric Care in Latin America.• My job also included all the personnel related aspects of the people in my department and I was assigned to take care of the people who needed to be relocated or terminated, when the Company decided to shut down the Mexico City Technical Center. Show less Sector: Baby Care (Disposable Diapers)Team: 12 people to manageResponsibilities:I had to identify, based on extensive consumer and competitive understanding, the changes/upgrades that we needed for P&G´s products (Pampers) in order to strengthen its acceptance and position in the market. I determined which changes would be done, qualified them technically and then confirmed its acceptance with consumers via different consumer/market techniques in the different countries where we would be implementing the changes (Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil). I recommended the new product for market introduction across the region and led the initial stages of the execution.I also developed the capability needed, internally and with external agencies/suppliers, to be able to do the development work (design blueprints, qualified agency to run technical evaluations, statistical support to analyze results thoroughly, new materials suppliers). Additionally, my job also included to conduct an in depth understanding of LA consumers to identify routes to grow the disposable diaper market. Show less Sector: Feminine Care (Always Sanitary Products)Team: 5 to 12 people to manage.Main Responsibilities:I created and trained a section capable of doing the product development work for sanitary pads for all of Latin America based in Caracas. This included the consolidation of resources into Caracas and the shut down of the section we had had in Mexico for several years. I identified the upgrades needed for our products, not only for the Always brand, but also fro the brands we had acquired in some countries and that were behind in technology and performance. This part of the job included working closely with different manufacturing sites in order to upgrade the production lines. Additionally, I conducted extensive consumer understanding work across the whole region to better understand the female consumers in Latin America.I put together one of the first attitudinal consumer models and segmentations in the company and used to explain why the category was well developed in some LA countries and not in others (even though the economic situation for the countries was similar). I was also able to explain the mismatch we had between the theoretical/calculated market size vs. the actual cases we were shipping. The work uncovered a huge business opportunity for the sector. Show less Team: 1-2 people to manageJob Description: This job was considered upstream given that the products or upgrades identified would hit the market in 5 years or more. I identified, among all the potential technologies being developed, which ones would have better consumer acceptance and, therefore, more business potential. To do this, I conducted extensive consumer understanding research and identified a few of the most critical consumer needs. I then recommended which consumer needs to focus on and identified the technology which would match and satisfy this particular need.I designed the product and conducted the initial evaluations via several different consumer research techniques across 3 different countries; I also determined the approximate cost of the product, the competitive advantage/risk it would five us, and the timing for implementation. Show less Sectors: Paper Products (Disposable Diapers and Feminine protection, Household Cleaners, Personal Hygiene Products (such as Bar Soaps, Liquid Soaps and Hair Shampoos).Responsibilities:I managed several projects in areas that involved consumer understanding, product formulations, competitive products understanding, market understanding, etc. Strong focus on identifying upgrades and improvements and also cost savings opportunities. I was also in charge of developing product demos for TV copy and other marketing activities and I prepared the product part of several sales presentations. I was a team member of different project groups and I was the project leader for several initiatives.Importantly, Show less

  • Position: R&D Associate Director (Products Research in Laundry Detergents)

    Oct 1998 - Dec 2001

  • R&D - Products Research Section Head

    Aug 1995 - Dec 1998

  • R&D - Products Research Section Head)

    Aug 1992 - Aug 1995

  • R&D Group Leader

    Jan 1991 - Aug 1992

  • R&D - Products Research Assistant Manager/Manager

    Oct 1984 - Dec 1990
• 

  International Flavors and Fragrances

  Jan 2002 - Nov 2010

  Single point of contact and key liaison between IFF and P&G Latam. Leader for all fragrance projects for P&G in Latin America, including those that the client requested and others that I recommended as opportunities for their business. Directed and supervised everyday transactions between P&G plants in the regions and IFF, as well as specific requests coming from their R&D fragrance teams.• Identified several areas of opportunity that resulted in additional business for IFF and, at the same time, strengthened P&G's business even further• Recommended and led several new projects, working in partnership with P&G´s fragrance teams• Proposed and implemented new ways of working and new approaches that resulted in new projects, incremental business for IFF and a closer client-customer relationship Show less

  • Regional Account Manager for Latin America (P&G Account)

    Jun 2003 - Nov 2010

  • Regional Category Manager for Fabric Care Products

    Jan 2002 - May 2003
• 

  Colgate-Palmolive Company

  Jun 2011 - Jan 2021

  Drove Innovation for sustained growth by leading the delivery of R&D initiatives for all key countries around the world. We did this by effectively adapting, validating and implementing global product bundles, developing new products for certain regions and continuously providing timely support for the established base business.• Excelled at delivering the fundamentals by complying with Quality, Regulatory and Environmental Affairs, and Occupational Health and Safety requirements, and also by integrating improvement projects with corporate sustainability strategies.• We always incorporated agility, sustainability (naturality) and transparency as key drivers for all projects. This required a change in mindset and new ways of working.• Maintained the corporate savings and efficiency program as a competitive advantage, identifying and executing timely divisional/regional savings and simplification projects. Show less Created a new Fragrance Department and set the vision, strategy and direction for the organization. Led the delivery of all fragrance initiatives worldwide.• Led and integrated all individuals working on fragrance into one single department and got them to high performing levels.• Continued to change the culture of fragrance within Colgate, emphasizing its strategic importance and repositioning it as a fundamental pillar for the growth of the business.• Led all fragrance related programs and projects, from Early Research to Development and then Implementation.• Created a strong pipeline of fragrance projects for the mid and long term.• Through fragrance, supported marketing initiatives and corporate savings and simplification goals. Show less Led the definition, communication and deployment of the Fragrance Technology Strategy, ensuring full engagement and ownership from the whole organization as well as clarity and understanding from key players in other technical and non-technical functions.• Designed, recommended and led cross-category program for encapsulated fragrances• Led and defined all technical aspects of the fragrance development work required by the business, helping and influencing marketing on the definition of fragrance related initiatives and translating business and consumer needs into specific fragrance criteria• Served as key liaison with the fragrance houses• Led the creation of a database that allowed for quick and friendly access to information on any of our fragrances, from price to usage amounts Show less

  • R&D Global Director Personal Care (UAP, Hair Care, Bar Soaps)

    Jul 2018 - Jan 2021

  • Director Global Fragrance R&D

    Jun 2016 - Jul 2018

  • Fragrance Development Director

    Jun 2011 - Jun 2016