From her first week during the pandemic to leading multiple household names across our Oral Care, Baby Care, and Women’s Health categories, Sarah’s journey at Kenvue has been powered by daring ideas, a collaborative spirit, and a strong sense of everyday care.
You’ve been with Kenvue for five years - tell us about your work and how your journey here started?
I joined Kenvue in March 2020 and had just three days in the office before Covid hit and the world shifted to home-based working. It wasn’t quite the start I’d imagined – navigating an online induction while everyone was figuring out remote work was definitely not in my original 30-day plan! But, even in those early moments, it was clear people genuinely wanted to support each other and go the extra mile to deliver for consumers and grow our amazing brands. I really enjoyed leading Aveeno®, Piz Buin®, and Listerine® in Northern Europe and have been recently promoted to Essential Health Director, overseeing Oral Care, Baby Care, and Women’s Health in the market, which is really exciting. I love being a Kenvuer - working on such iconic and meaningful brands and being part of a leading global consumer health business, is a real privilege.
What is one thing you’re particularly proud of?
I’m most proud of our daring spirit and how we’ve driven growth. For Aveeno®, in the UK we entered new categories, partnering with our customers, and pioneering influencer collaborations. This multi-channel approach helped more consumers discover the power of oats for sensitive skin. We experimented, learnt, and iterated our plan, giving us a competitive edge. For Piz Buin®, we know people aren’t wearing enough sunscreen or reapplying it frequently enough, and developed the tongue-in-cheek “Get It On” campaign, which brought educational messaging to life in an engaging way.
Is there a key learning you can share from your own professional journey?
Teamwork really does make the dream work. I’ve always loved to play team sports and, for me, there’s nothing more exciting than working together, having fun, and winning as a collective. I’ve found that approaching projects and challenges with that mindset is the best way to drive successful results, because in matrix organisations, teamwork is fundamental and everyone has their own role to play.
Our colleagues have so much knowledge and you can always learn something from speaking to each other - they’ll make your career so much richer. Also, everyone can contribute and create great ideas, no matter what their role is in an organisation.
What’s one self-care moment you make sure to carve out for yourself every day?
I make time to talk to family and friends every day - whether that’s a quick phone call, going for dinner, or a breakfast FaceTime with friends overseas. I love spending any kind of precious time with them; it’s what gives me positive energy that I can bring to work each day. Plus, Kenvue’s flexible working options give me the flexibility to spend time with family and friends in ways I wouldn’t be able to otherwise which makes a real difference.
Finally, can you share a fun fact about yourself outside of work life?
I like to sign up for challenges that push me out of my comfort zone. I’ve walked a marathon along the Thames Path, completed both the UK National 3 Peaks and the Yorkshire Peaks challenges, and a couple of years ago, I did a stand-up comedy course that culminated in performing a ‘gig’ for 50 people. Most people who know me find this extremely surprising - I’m not sure why!