Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
Leadership History
4 leaders · 1969 to present
Rick Dierker is the CEO of Church & Dwight, in the role since 2025. The first chief executive was Dwight C. Minton, from 1969.
| Name | Role | From | To | Years in role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rick Dierker | Chief Executive Officer | 2025 | Present | 1 |
| Matthew Farrell | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | 2016 | 2025 | 9 |
| James R. Craigie | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | 2004 | 2016 | 12 |
| Dwight C. Minton | Chief Executive Officer | 1969 | 1995 | 26 |
Church & Dwight is the New Jersey company behind the yellow box of ARM & HAMMER baking soda. Over 180 years it has stretched that brand across laundry, cat litter and toothpaste, and since 2001 it has bought niche leaders such as Trojan, OxiClean, Waterpik, TheraBreath, Hero and Touchland. With $6.2 billion in 2025 sales it is far smaller than Procter & Gamble or Unilever, so it wins by owning narrow categories rather than broad ones. The company is headquartered in Ewing, New Jersey.
Church & Dwight makes money by selling branded household and personal care products through mass merchants, grocery, drug, club, dollar and e-commerce channels, plus sodium bicarbonate and animal-nutrition products through its Specialty Products division. Its model concentrates marketing and innovation on a short list of 'power brands' that are #1 or #2 in their niches, and it adds growth by acquiring asset-light brands and plugging them into its supply chain and retail relationships. Consumer Domestic produced about 77% of 2024 sales, Consumer International about 18% and Specialty Products about 5%. Online sales reached 25.5% of consumer sales in Q2 2026.
Chief Executive Officer
2025 – Present
1 year (current)
Rick Dierker became President and CEO on March 31, 2025, succeeding Matthew Farrell. He previously served as CFO and head of operations. In his first year he closed the Touchland acquisition, sold the vitamin business and exited Flawless, Spinbrush and Waterpik showerheads, and in 2026 the company returned to faster organic growth (5.8% in Q2 2026).
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
2016 – 2025
9 years
Matthew Farrell joined Church & Dwight as CFO in 2006, became CEO in January 2016 and Chairman in 2019. As CEO he led the acquisitions of Waterpik (2017), Flawless (2019), Zicam (2020), TheraBreath (2021) and Hero Cosmetics (2022), and grew online sales to more than 20% of consumer sales. He handed the CEO role to Rick Dierker on March 31, 2025.
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
2004 – 2016
12 years
James Craigie served as CEO from 2004 until Matthew Farrell succeeded him in January 2016. He built the power-brand strategy and oversaw acquisitions including Orange Glo/OxiClean (2006), Orajel (2008) and Batiste (2011), helping lift sales from roughly $1.5 billion to more than $3 billion.
Chief Executive Officer
1969 – 1995
26 years
Dwight Minton, a descendant of co-founder John Dwight, led the company as CEO from 1969 to 1995. He pushed ARM & HAMMER beyond baking soda into laundry detergent, deodorizers and toothpaste, laying the groundwork for the multi-category brand.
Retailer private labels remain the structural threat for brands outside ARM & HAMMER, Trojan and a few other leaders; this pressure drove the 2024 vitamin impairment and the 2025 exit. The company also depends heavily on the ARM & HAMMER franchise, faces tariff and commodity cost pressure, and must keep acquired brands like Touchland and Hero growing after purchase.
Rick Dierker took office as President and Chief Executive Officer of Church & Dwight on March 31, 2025, and joined the board at the same time. He succeeded Matt Farrell, who stayed on as chairman for a transition period.
Matt Farrell joined Church & Dwight in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer, directing financial strategy and M&A for eight years before being promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2014 and CEO in 2016.
James R. Craigie was CEO of Church & Dwight from 2004 to 2015. He built the power-brand strategy and oversaw acquisitions including OxiClean (Orange Glo, 2006), Orajel (2008) and Batiste (2011).
Dwight C. Minton, a direct descendant of co-founder John Dwight, served as CEO from 1969 to 1995 and Chairman until 2001. Minton transformed the company by expanding Arm & Hammer baking soda into laundry detergent, carpet deodorizer, and toothpaste.
As CEO, Matt Farrell executed landmark acquisitions including Waterpik for $1.0 billion in 2017, Zicam cold remedy for $530 million in 2020, TheraBreath mouthwash for $580 million in 2021, and Hero Cosmetics for $630 million in 2022.
Matt Farrell navigated post-2020 cost inflation by simplifying packaging formulas, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity, negotiating strategic price increases, and maintaining marketing investments to drive market share gains.
Church & Dwight has been consistently ranked on Barron's '100 Most Sustainable Companies' list, named among America's Most Trustworthy Companies by Newsweek, and recognized for delivering top-tier total shareholder returns.
Matt Farrell champions disciplined capital allocation, executing the Evergreen operational model, fostering an owner-operator mindset among employees, and maintaining steady brand trust with consumers.
Matthew Farrell currently serves as CEO. He is widely praised on Wall Street for maintaining extreme financial discipline and strictly acquiring high-margin, "power brands" rather than engaging in bloated, reckless M&A.
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