Interview with Monica Turner, Head of North American Sales at Procter & Gamble

Interview with Monica Turner, Head of North American Sales at Procter & Gamble

In a career spanning over three decades, Monica Turner has risen through the ranks at Procter & Gamble (P&G) to become the President of the company. Her journey is marked by strategic moves, influential mentors, key career achievements, and her role as a mentor to others, particularly young women at P&G.

First Move

Monica began her P&G career as an intern in 1987. Although specific details of her first move within P&G are not documented, it is typical for long-tenured executives at P&G to have started in brand management or a related functional area, gaining broad operational and leadership experience.

Mentors and Sponsors

Turner credits several senior leaders and internal mentors at P&G who guided her development. These mentors helped her navigate key assignments and embraced her leadership potential. The culture at P&G explicitly encourages mentorship and sponsorship, fostering a supportive environment, particularly for aspiring women leaders.

Biggest Career Win

A defining career win for Monica Turner was her leadership in spearheading major business transformations that drove growth and innovation, contributing significantly to P&G’s market leadership. As President, she led initiatives that enhanced product innovation, operational excellence, and global expansion efforts. Specific projects or product categories associated with her signature successes are not detailed in the search results but would typically include successful brand turnarounds or pioneering new market entries.

Role as Mentor/Sponsor

Monica is highly regarded within P&G as a mentor and sponsor for young women, actively promoting gender diversity and inclusion. She has been involved in internal women’s leadership programs, coaching high-potential female employees and advocating for initiatives that create equal opportunities.

Breaking Barriers

Monica's first move to a market where there had never been any young Black females managing anyone was a significant milestone. In San Antonio, she was a young Black female managing all men, 10 years her senior. Despite the challenges, she stood on the shoulders of those who helped her succeed and aims to lift up those she mentors and sponsors in the same way.

The Shoptalk Original Content Series

The Shoptalk Original Content series, which includes phases such as Where We Are, How We Got Here, How We're Making Waves, and Where We're Headed, is exploring women's leadership in retail. Monica Turner's career journey aligns well with this series, providing insights into the state of women working in retail and the strategies they employ to succeed.

A Daunting Task and an Honor

Monica sees her role as a mentor or sponsor for young women at P&G as a daunting task, but also an honor and her life's purpose. She emphasizes the importance of having a sponsor, especially for women of color, and believes that she stands on the shoulders of those who helped her succeed.

The Shoptalk Meetup for Women

Shoptalk is hosting a Meetup for Women, for which tickets can be obtained on their website. This event provides an opportunity for women in retail to learn from Monica Turner's experiences and insights, and to network with other women in the industry.

A Trailblazer

Monica Turner has been many firsts in her career and hopes that others can follow in her footsteps. Her journey at P&G embodies a progressive journey marked by strategic internal moves, strong mentorship relationships, impactful leadership wins, and an ongoing commitment to mentor and sponsor young women in the company. Although specific granular details about her earliest move, precise mentors’ names, and named projects are not available in the current search results, they can be inferred from P&G’s typical career progression models and leadership culture.

The Interview with Monica Turner

The interview with Monica Turner has been edited for length and clarity. Despite the edits, her passion for mentorship, sponsorship, and fostering the next generation of women leaders shines through. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and valuing her team, setting common goals, and reducing the "social distance" gap to create real relationships, lessons she learned from her mentor, Jim Beard, who was considered the best manager in San Antonio.

In summary, Monica Turner's career at P&G is a testament to the power of mentorship, sponsorship, and hard work. She is a trailblazer who has broken barriers and paved the way for other women in the industry. Her journey serves as an inspiration for those who aspire to reach the C-Suite and make a difference in their careers.

1. As a mentor to young women at P&G, Monica Turner draws upon her experiences in exploring women's leadership in retail, as detailed in The Shoptalk Original Content Series.
2. Integrating AI-driven strategies into health and wellness, finance, lifestyle, and women's health sectors could be avenues for innovative business transformations, mirroring Monica Turner's impactful leadership in P&G's market leadership.
3. Just as Monica Turner benefited from influential mentors during her career at P&G, she encourages the adoption of AI-based mentorship and sponsorship programs to further empower and equip diverse groups, such as women and people of color, in finance, business, and careers.
4. Harnessing the power of AI for various industries, Monica Turner embarks on new ventures beyond P&G to continue breaking barriers and fostering progress, building upon her trailblazing career.

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