Gillette Hires Ex-Nabisco Chief As Chairman, CEO

ByBridgeNews Gillette Co., maker of razors, blades and Duracell batteries, has named James M. Kilts its new chairman and CEO. Kilts assumes the roles following a successful stint at Nabisco. He is widely credited with turning Nabisco around from a period of struggling in the mid-1990s. Kilts, who will join Boston-based Gillette on Feb. 12, will take the helm of a company that has not performed up to the expectations of Wall Street or its own board of directors. When Michael C. Hawley, who served as CEO for just 18 months, resigned from the company in October, investors were told the board was looking for an executive who would be able to get the most out of Gillette's brands, their distribution, and their worldwide reputation. Kilts has been out of a job since late last year following the purchase of Nabisco Foods by Philip Morris Cos.