Diversity & Inclusion

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble has appointed Barron Witherspoon as the company’s VP of industry affairs.  

Witherspoon has a 27-year history in consumer packaged goods at P&G, beginning his career in field advertising and securing positions of increasing responsibility in customer business development across multiple categories and customers and global regions. 

He has served on numerous association boards and is actively involved in helping to leverage diversity across the company and the industry.

ATLANTA — Coca-Cola’s has appointed Santander UK plc CEO Ana Botín to the company’s board of directors.

Santander UK plc is one of Britain’s leading personal financial services companies and a subsidiary of the Santander Group, the largest bank in the Eurozone.

CORNING, N.Y. — Procter & Gamble group president of global beauty Deborah Henretta has been appointed to Corning's board of directors.

Henretta will also serve on the board's audit and finance committees. She will hold office until Corning`s annual meeting of shareholders in the spring of 2014, at which time she will stand for election to a one-year term. Her appointment brings to 13 the number of directors in the specialty glass and ceramics provider’s board.

Greenwood Village, Colo. -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has named Cathy Cooney as senior VP and chief people officer of the burger chain. Cooney will be responsible for leading the development and execution of human resource strategies.

Before joining Red Robin, Cooney served as executive VP of human resources for Carefusion, a $4 billion medical technology company.

Seattle – Twelve deaf consumers are suing Starbucks over what they claim was harassment at the hands of employees of a lower Manhattan Starbucks store on March 7, 2013.

NEW YORK — Kellwood Company, a leading apparel manufacturer and marketer, has appointed Lynn Shanahan to the newly created role of CEO of Kellwood Brands. 

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS employees cleaned up nearly 25,000 pounds of trash from shorelines across the country in partnership with Ocean Conservancy, a leading organization that educates and empowers citizens to take action on behalf of the ocean. 

The CVS Caremark Shoreline Cleanup, a national environmental employee engagement campaign, raises awareness of the connection between clean waterways and health. 

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- West Elm is opening its first location in Missouri – at the St. Louis Galleria.

The 8,385-sq.-ft. store, slated to open in July, will incorporate works by local artists as part of its plan to support St. Louis talent.

“Our customers are as passionate about supporting artists in their local communities as we are at West Elm,” said Jim Brett, president of West Elm. “We are proud to be incorporating some of St. Louis’ most talented artists into the assortment for our new store.”