Bill Graham named Beiersdorf president

WILTON, Conn. — Beiersdorf, whose brands include Nivea, Nivea for Men and Eucerin, announced on Thursday the promotion of Bill Graham to president and general manager of the company. Effective immediately, Graham will be responsible for the strategic direction, growth and success of the U.S. affiliate.

As previously reported by Drug Store News, the company announced in March the departure of Robert Taylor-Hughes as president of Beiersdorf North America. At that time, Graham, then VP sales for Beiersdorf North America, assumed the role of acting GM in addition to his duties as VP sales.

As VP sales, a post he held since April 2007, Graham is credited with reshaping the U.S. sales organization to create a competitive advantage for the company. Under his leadership, Beiersdorf has experienced significant sales growth, improved its presence at retail and dramatically strengthened its relationships with U.S. customers, the company stated.

"Bill's ability to deliver results has made him instrumental in making Beiersdorf the fastest-growing skin care company in the [United States], " said Peter Feld, executive board member responsible for Europe and North America. "I would like to congratulate Bill on this exciting promotion. I am extremely confident that he will continue to be an important leader in Beiersdorf's future success."

Prior to joining Beiersdorf, Graham held a number of senior leadership positions at Novartis Consumer Healthcare, Bristol Myers-Squibb and Unilever.