By Chelsey Dulaney
Clorox Co. said Friday that former chief executive Donald R.
Knauss will retire from his role as executive chairman on July 1,
after just six months in the post.
Mr. Knauss was Clorox's chairman and chief executive from 2006
until last November, when he stepped down and took on the newly
created executive chairman role. A former U.S. Marine, Mr. Knauss
came to Clorox from Coca-Cola Co. In 2011, he defended the company
from a hostile takeover bid by activist investor Carl Icahn.
The company on Friday appointed George Harad, a Clorox director
since 2006, as independent chairman.
Benno Dorer, a former Procter Gamble executive who had overseen
about half of Clorox's business as operating chief, replaced Mr.
Knauss as CEO last year. Together with Mr. Knauss, Mr. Dorer worked
on hashing out Clorox's new long-term plan that stretches out to
2020.
The executive changes came as Clorox, the maker of its namesake
bleach, Kingsford charcoal and Hidden Valley dressing, faced a
consumer-packaged goods industry grasping for growth.
The company has responded by spending more money marketing its
products to try to show they are better than generics.
Earlier this month, the company reported better-than-expected
fiscal third-quarter results and raised its outlook for the year
ending in June as it benefited from higher prices.
Write to Chelsey Dulaney at Chelsey.Dulaney@wsj.com
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