Kimberly-Clark Announces Sustainability SVP

Kimberly-Clark announced that it has named Jan Spencer, currently president of Kimberly-Clark Professional, as its new senior vice president, continuous improvement, sourcing and sustainability, according to a company press release. Spencer will report directly to Kimberly-Clark’s CEO, Thomas J. Falk,

Spencer will be responsible for accelerating the adoption of business process improvement initiatives across the company’s global operations, as well as driving sustainability initiatives deeper into the business units. Spencer was previously responsible for accelerating the company’s commitments to long-term fiber policy through discussions with Greenpeace, and has lead the company’s sustainability initiatives in several of its businesses, according to the company.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the company announced plans in March in to reduce up to $500 million in production costs through increased efficiencies in its lean manufacturing and supply-chain practices.

According to its 2009 corporate sustainability report, Kimberly-Clark made progress on its efforts to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills per metric ton of production, but increased the amount of energy it used per metric ton. The company was also one of the top ten purchasers of green energy last year, according to the EPA.