Smale, John

Smale, John (Gray)

(1927–  ) corporate executive; born in Listowel, Ontario, Canada. He spent virtually his entire career at Procter & Gamble, where he launched Crest toothpaste and other new products and acquired Richardson-Vicks and G. D. Searle's over-the-counter drugs. As variously president, CEO, and chairman (1974–90), he rejuvenated Procter & Gamble's stolid corporate culture.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.