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| Inducted: |
1996 |
| Region: |
MidWest |
| Industry: |
Manufacturing
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John Smale joined Procter & Gamble in 1952 as an assistant brand manager. He retired 38 years later after serving as P&G’s chairman and CEO. Three years later, at the age of 65, he became chairman of General Motors in one of the most dramatic management revolutions of the 1990s, when the board of directors rebellion ousted GM’s CEO Robert Stempel. At GM, Smale slashed costs and returned the company to profitability. He retired from GM at the end of 1995, although he remains chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board. |
