Clorox Is a Leading Bay Area Corporation.
On January 6, 2011, the Clorox Company hosted MBA students, including those from USF and nationwide to attend
Clorox Day on the Job at their corporate headquarters in downtown Oakland. The purpose of this event was to provide MBA students with an overview of the company’s vision, to learn about the critical role of marketing within that vision, and to learn about the company’s marketing internship program. Eight USF MBA students joined MBA students from across the country, including those from Berkeley, UCLA, USC, MIT, University of Texas, and Wharton to attend this informative and valuable half-day event at Clorox headquarters in downtown Oakland, CA.
As part of their recruiting efforts, Clorox annually invites select MBA students to learn about the company from top executives and members of the brand management team. This year the day began with a continental breakfast and an introduction by Rosa Dela Resma, the Director of College Recruiting. Ms. Dela Resma was followed by CEO Don Knauss who spoke briefly but enthusiastically about the Clorox mission and their marketing focus. Tom Britanik, Chief Marketing Officer then gave an overview of the marketing function and how it plays a key role in “building brands that consumers love.” Doug Milliken, Vice President of Marketing Brand Development, provided a more in-depth look at Clorox best practices using real examples from their product line. Lastly, Ms. Dela Resma rounded out the presentations by providing information about the internship program and process, career tracks within marketing, and the intensive training process for new hires. Throughout each presentation speakers were extremely knowledgeable, engaging, and open to student questions.
After presentations, the day was not quite over. At lunch, each school was teamed up with several brand managers to facilitate questions in a small group setting that was both comfortable and informal. Clorox employees provided valuable information about their day-to-day work of brand managers, their personal backgrounds, corporate culture, and perceptions about the company. Elizabeth Cantor, a first year USF MBA student who attended, said: “The Clorox DOJ gave me insight that has been useful in deciding which career options I am going to pursue. It was helpful to speak with current professionals who work at Clorox and ask them questions face to face.”
Clorox Day on the Job was a well-planned and structured event that provided students with an invaluable glimpse into the marketing approach of a Bay area Fortune 500 company. It also provided great insight into how to refine and hone our skills as MBA students entering a competitive workforce. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone interested in learning more about marketing strategy, the Clorox Company, and career choices within marketing!
