Haleon’s Katie Williams compares marketing to the scientific method

Not many marketers go from being scientists to CMOs, but Haleon’s Katie Williams did just that. After earning a degree in biology and starting off her career advancing haircare technology at Procter & Gamble, Williams says on The Current Podcast that she was “bit by the marketing bug.” More than 20 years later, she has translated her scientific skills into marketing prowess through problem-solving and finding connections to consumers in her own way.

“For me, particularly as an African American woman,” Williams says, “sometimes when you’re in groups that are not necessarily always represented, you have a passion to really understand people in a deep way, bring their stories to life, and ensure that when we’re doing our work as marketers to build brands, that we’re able to connect with a broad range of consumers in a way that’s meaningful and compelling to them.”

In this episode, she talks about making health care more accessible and guiding marketing after GSK split its consumer health care business into Haleon, which includes brands like Advil, Theraflu, and ChapStick.