# Michael Polk

> Michael Polk is the President and CEO of Implus, the Durham, North Carolina maker of footcare, fitness and sporting goods brands like Sof Sole, Spenco, Yaktrax and TriggerPoint. A first-generation American and career consumer-goods operator, he spent decades climbing through Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods and Unilever before running Newell Brands for eight years, where he led a transformation that roughly tripled enterprise value. Since 2020 he has paired the Implus job with an advisory role at private equity firm Berkshire Partners, trading the glare of a public-company quarter for the hands-on work of building brands shoulder-to-shoulder with a smaller team.

- **Role:** President & CEO at Implus LLC
- **Organizations:** Implus LLC, Berkshire Partners, Newell Brands, Unilever, Kraft Foods, Procter & Gamble
- **From:** Redwood City, California, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S., Operations Research & Industrial Engineering, Cornell University, MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Led an eight-year transformation of Newell Brands, with reports of enterprise value rising from roughly $5B to $15B, Carried full P&L responsibility across multiple continents at Kraft, Unilever and Newell, Served on the boards of Colgate-Palmolive and Logitech International

## Career timeline

- **1980s** — Began career at Procter & Gamble in paper manufacturing and R&D
- **1987** — Joined Kraft Foods, beginning 16 years in senior marketing and general management roles
- **1998** — Named EVP and General Manager of Post cereals at Kraft
- **2000** — Took leadership of Kraft's Asia Pacific Region
- **2001** — Appointed Group VP, Kraft Foods North America and President of the Nabisco Biscuit & Snacks Group
- **2003** — Joined Unilever, eventually serving as Global President of Food, Home & Personal Care
- **2011** — Became President & CEO of Newell Brands
- **2019** — Retired from Newell Brands after eight years leading its transformation
- **2020** — Became CEO of Implus LLC and an Advisory Director at Berkshire Partners

## Achievements

- Led an eight-year transformation of Newell Brands, with reports of enterprise value rising from roughly $5B to $15B
- Carried full P&L responsibility across multiple continents at Kraft, Unilever and Newell
- Served on the boards of Colgate-Palmolive and Logitech International
- Delivered the 28th annual Lewis H. Durland Memorial Lecture at Cornell in 2016
- Built and led Implus through brand and business development since 2020

## Latest updates

- **2024-11** — Featured discussing why leaders thrive in privately owned businesses.
- **2024-05** — Profiled on his arc from first-generation American to multibillion-dollar corporate leader.

## Links

- Website: https://www.michael-polk.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-polk-7224228

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-polk
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-22