| John G. Smale | |
| Birth Date: | August 1, 1927 |
| Birth Place: | Listowel, Ontario, Canada |
| Death Date: | November 19, 2011 |
| Death Place: | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| CEO, Procter & Gamble | |
| Term: | 1981 to 1990 |
| Spouse: | Phyllis Weaver |
| Children: | 4 |
John Gray Smale (August 1, 1927 - November 19, 2011) was an American businessman, the chief executive (CEO) of Procter & Gamble from 1981 to 1990, and chairman of General Motors from 1992 to 1995.[1]
According to his obituary in The New York Times, he "led Procter & Gamble through a period of extraordinary growth, and then helped engineer a turnaround of General Motors"[1]
John Gray Smale and his twin sister Joy were born on August 1, 1927, in Listowel, Ontario, Canada, and grew up in Elmhurst, Illinois.[1] Their father worked for the department store chain Marshall Field's as a travelling salesman.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1949.[1]
In 1949, he joined Vick Chemical Co and worked for them for three years as a salesman (and would eventually lead the acquisition of their successor company, Richardson-Vicks, for $1.2 billion in 1985.[1] [2]
In 1952, he joined Procter & Gamble in dental products and persuaded the American Dental Association to endorse a new product, Crest toothpaste, which went on to become one of P&G's best-selling brands.[3] He rose to become its seventh CEO, a role he held from 1981 to 1990.[3] [1]
Smale was married to Phyllis Weaver for 56 years until her death in 2006, and they had four children, John Gray Jr, Peter, Catherine Anne Caldemeyer, and Lisa Smale.[1]
He died at his home in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 19, 2011, aged 84.[1]