Dove. Degree. Sunsilk. Need we say more? Okay. Axe. Sunlight. Suave. These days, Geoff Craig is overseeing some the biggest brands in the biz. ‘He’s one of the best marketers I have worked with in 25 years,’ says Chapman who first worked with Craig on the Slim-Fast account when he was the director of marketing on the foods from 2003 to 2005. ‘He has a sharp eye for great creative and uses all the pieces on the chess board (packaging, retail theatre, promotional marketing, media driven content, event, digital and viral) versus simply shouting loudly in the media.’

That knack for a 360-degree approach began to take shape when Craig joined Unilever 14 years ago, steadily gathering a broad mix of expertise in various parts of the business: There was a stint in sales, operations, finance and new business development, along with a handful of key marketing director posts that have all lead to the monster position of VP/GM, home and personal care to which he was promoted last October. And the key to his future success may lie in another of Chapman’s observations: ‘He sees Canada’s role in the global marketplace as a leader, not a follower. ‘

Why Geoff?

‘I have tons of heart for Geoff. He is the guy behind Dove’s ‘Campaign for Real Beauty,’ Axe, Sunsilk and the relaunch of Suave. Incredibly bright, [he] really has an appreciation for the change going on in the world, the need to think big and outside the box and how to motivate the next generation of talent. He’s a real superstar.