Consumer Goods Technology

sources that are available from customers, shoppers and consumers. Each category within consumer products has unique characteristics and dynamics given the competitive set, trade promotion and marketing support. Collaboration flourishes when there is meaningful value in the dialogue between both parties.

Manufacturers who bring real retail, shopper and consumer insights to the table will get permission from the retailer to collaborate.

What challenges does Alberto Culver face as a global company? How does or will your company use the technology available to help overcome these global challenges?

BENDER: Alberto Culver is a global beauty care company with exceptionally strong brands — TRESemme, Nexxus, VO5, St. Ives, Noxzema, etc. — and an impressive track record of results.

Our vision is to be the fastest-growing, most respected beauty care company in the world. We are tracking very positively toward our vision. In today’s economic climate, Alberto Culver is very fortunate to have strong brands with high value propositions for our consumers.

As for challenges, we are in the midst of a very large information technology (IT) and business process transformation program at Alberto Culver called Project Atlas. We are implementing SAP globally in partnership with IBM to deliver standard business processes beginning with our Europe/Middle East (EMEA) Region. Our EMEA Region go-live is February 2009. Following the EMEA Region, we are implementing our global SAP model in North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific/Africa.

This is a very large change management program that will yield significant value to the business and provide a technology platform that will support our planned business growth.

One of our challenges is to execute the program with excellence and deliver benefits that Alberto Culver is expecting. Fortunately, our Project Atlas team and the business are up to the challenge, and we are tracking to plan.