Name: Tom Falk
Company: Kimberly-Clark
Title: Chairman and CEO
Women account for about 80 percent of purchases across Kimberly-Clark’s business, which generated $18.6 billion in revenue last year. Yet despite diversity initiatives, CEO Thomas Falk found women under-represented in the upper ranks. So in 2009, he spearheaded a program to help change that and, by 2013, women accounted for 25 percent of board members. Falk says three key things will guarantee success: “Taking good care of your customers, developing your people, and finding a way to grow.”
What do you enjoy most about what you do? Spending time with our Kimberly-Clark team around the world always inspires and energizes me.
What’s your proudest moment? My proudest moments involve my son, Michael. My wife, Karen, and I have watched him walk across the stage at graduation and down the aisle when he was married.
What would people be surprised to learn about you (fun fact)? My first job was as a caddy at age 12. By age 16, I was playing the drums professionally three nights a week in the lounge at a Ramada Inn.
What educational degrees do you hold, and where were they learned? I have a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a master’s degree earned as a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
What kind of car do you drive? Chevrolet Corvette
What’s your beverage of choice? Diet Mountain Dew
What’s your hobby or passion? I enjoy regular exercise—racquetball, rowing, cardio and some strength training—and reading good books.
The Dallas 500 is a special edition produced by the editors of D CEO that profiles the most powerful leaders in North Texas. For more information, and to suggest individuals or categories to include in 2017, visit www.Dallas500.com.
