Douglas M. Baker, Jr

Douglas M. Baker, Jr., (born December 5, 1958) is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Ecolab, Inc.,^[1] a Fortune 500 company in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services.^[2]

Career

Baker joined Ecolab in 1989, initially holding various marketing and leadership positions in the U.S. and Europe including vice president and general manager of Kay Chemical Co. a division of Ecolab that provides cleaning and sanitizing programs tailored specifically for the quick food service (fast food) and food retail (supermarket and grocery) markets.

Later Baker became junior vice president of Ecolab’s Institutional business sector, which provides cleaning and sanitation products, programs and services to food service, hospitality, healthcare and commercial customers in North America.

Baker was named Ecolab’s president and chief operating officer in 2002, president and chief executive officer in 2004 and added chairman of the board responsibilities in 2006. Through 2012, Ecolab Sales had grown 215 percent to $11.8 billion and Adjusted EPS had increased 210 percent to $2.98 per share during his tenure as CEO.^[3]

Baker has received numerous awards and recognition throughout his career. Most recently, he was named to the Forbes Global 2000: Hall of Fame CEOs,^[4] and named 2014 Responsible CEO of the Year by Corporate Responsibility Magazine.

Before joining Ecolab, Baker spent seven years with Procter & Gamble in various brand management positions.

In addition to his Ecolab responsibilities, Baker serves as a member of the board of directors of U.S. Bancorp and Target Corporation. He also is trustee emeritus of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.^[5]

Community involvement

Baker is active in the civic life of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. He serves on the executive committee of the Greater MSP Partnership, a private-public partnership whose mission is to stimulate economic growth and prosperity in the region. Baker also serves on the board of overseers of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and on the executive committee of the Minnesota Business Partnership, an organization of CEOs from Minnesota’s top 100 companies focused on further enhancing the region’s quality of life. He is a board member of Parent Aware for School Readiness (PASR), a nonprofit organization to support the statewide expansion of Parent Aware, Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Baker and his wife Julie also chaired the 2012 Twin Cities United Way fundraising campaign.

Baker also is a co-chair of the host committee for Super Bowl LII, which will be held in February 2018 in Minneapolis. ^[6]

Education

Baker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., where he majored in English.^[7] He currently serves on the college's board of trustees.

References