E.L. Skip Holmes is Associate Director of Power, Control and Information Systems for Corporate Engineering Technologies at The Procter & Gamble Co. (www.pg.com), near Cincinnati. With 2003 net sales of $43.4 billion, P&G markets almost 300 products, in brands ranging from Tide to Pampers to Pringles, to more than 5 billion consumers in 140 countries.
Holmes’ primary job is to manage a corporate department of about 30 engineers who serve P&G global manufacturing sites by developing technology solutions for power, control and factory-floor information systems. The group’s mission statement is to “solve the most challenging customer problems.” Its customers are manufacturing, engineering and research and development groups within the three major business units of P&G.
Holmes is also the leader of P&G’s Global Community of Practice for Power, Control and Information Systems, where he oversees 500 P&G professionals in sharing and developing global best practices for process control.
After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering, Holmes joined P&G 27 years ago, working in manufacturing operations and automation for business units that include food, beauty care, health care, fabric and home care.
Holmes is passionate about leadership, and considers himself fortunate to have worked with individuals whom he could mentor and promote. Despite changes at P&G, including a 30 percent downsizing of corporate engineering departments, Holmes believes his group is valued and appreciated throughout the organization. Much of this attitude he attributes to P&G’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, A.G. Lafley, whom Holmes calls a “leader who is able to connect at the heart level.”
A recognized leader himself, Holmes has promoted activities in the Open Modular Architecture Controls (OMAC) Users Group—within its Packaging Workgroup—and the World Batch Forum, and has spoken at several industry events.
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