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Kimberly-Clark Corporation names new group VP for North America

Kimberly-Clark Corporation has appointed a new group president of Kimberly-Clark North America.

Russ Torres, president of Kimberly-Clark Professional (KCP), will succeed Kim Underhill as group VP North America. Underhill is leaving after 33 years with the company.

In his new role, Torres will lead Kimberly-Clark’s North American consumer business, which includes Huggies, Kleenex, Cottonelle and Depend.

Torres will continue to report to Mike Hsu, CEO and chair of Kimberly-Clark.

“We’re proud to have a deep bench of talented leaders to drive our global business,” says Hsu. “Russ is a decisive leader with deep industry experience and a strong set of capabilities. His ability to rally teams around a common vision will drive results for our largest business unit.”

Torres joined Kimberly-Clark in 2020 with more than 20 years of experience within the consumer products goods industry, spanning a number of key senior leadership roles at Bain & Company, Mondelez International/Kraft Foods, and Newell Brands. Torres holds an MBA from Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College.

Kim Underhill, who rose through the ranks of Kimberly-Clark, began her career in 1988 as a process engineer and led several of the company’s most strategic businesses, including the U.K., Western Europe, Kimberly-Clark Professional, and the North American consumer business.

“Kim is an outstanding leader who embodied the Kimberly-Clark culture. Her career was built on trust, teamwork and a drive for results,” says Hsu. “The care she exhibited for our consumers, community and most of all, our people will be long admired, and we are grateful for the example she set for the past 33 years.”

A successor to Torres at Kimberly-Clark Professional will be named in the near future.