Consumer Products & Chemical
October 18-21, 2021 | Virtual
4 TRACKS | 4 DAYS
| 1000+ ATTENDEES
There is no cost to attend this event.
OCTOBER 10-11, 2023 CHICAGO, IL
Confirm My AttendanceJoin your quality, regulatory, legal, marketing, and IT peers from the consumer goods, food and beverage, cosmetics, speciality chemical, and crop science industries at this virtual event designed especially for you.
Chief R&D Officer
The Clorox Company
Michael Ott is senior vice president and chief research and development officer of The Clorox Company.
In this role, Michael leads global research and development, and is responsible for product development and innovation, from concept to commercialization, and oversees the company’s stewardship activities and technical capability areas.
Michael has spent his entire professional career at Clorox, supporting nearly every part of the business. Prior to his current assignment, he was vice president of research and development – Specialty, helping reset the business through the creation of innovation platforms such as Fresh Step Outstretch cat litter, Glad with Clorox trash bags and Hidden Valley Special Sauce. During this time, he also served as the company’s interim chief sustainability officer, working with the businesses to achieve the company’s packaging and emissions goals.
Previously, Michael was vice president of research and development for the Cleaning, International and CloroxPro divisions. For more than a decade, Michael led initiatives resulting in significant expansion of the company’s Home Care and Professional businesses.
Starting as a bench scientist in 1996, Michael moved to the Product Supply Organization’s Global Strategic Sourcing team before returning to research and development to help launch the company’s Open Innovation capability.
He serves as chair and chief volunteer officer of the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Oakland, California, and coaches Pop Warner youth football in West Oakland.
Michael holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Villanova University.
Chief R&D Officer Panel 9:30am - 10:30am
Rethinking R&D: Navigating the New Landscape of Consumer Product Innovation
Simultaneous forces are putting unprecedented pressure on today’s consumer products R&D organizations. From lingering impacts from the pandemic, to nimble, disruptive new market entrants, to talent and sustainability challenges, it’s clear R&D needs to evolve fast. R&D leaders need a renewed approach to consumer product innovation that will drive sustained competitive advantage. Join our panel of consumer product innovation leaders as they reveal how they are reconfiguring the R&D function to reestablish its position as a central pillar of their organization's business strategy. Engage with these experts as they delve into topics like talent strategies, ways of working, the role of AI, and how innovation should involve the end-to-end value chain.