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The Procter & Gamble Company

Consumer packaged goodsFounded 1837
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded Procter & Gamble?

William Procter, James Gamble · Founded 1837 · HQ today: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Who founded Procter & Gamble?

Procter & Gamble was founded by William Procter, James Gamble in 1837. It is now led by Shailesh Jejurikar.

Founders
William Procter, James Gamble
Founded
1837
Headquarters
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Number of founders
2
Current CEO
Shailesh Jejurikar (since 2026)
Where was Procter & Gamble founded?
Procter & Gamble was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States in 1837.
When was Procter & Gamble founded?
Procter & Gamble was founded in 1837.
Who started Procter & Gamble?
Procter & Gamble was founded by William Procter and James Gamble.
How old is Procter & Gamble?
Procter & Gamble is 189 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

P&G began on October 31, 1837, when English-born candlemaker William Procter and Irish-born soapmaker James Gamble, who had married sisters, formed a partnership in Cincinnati at the urging of their father-in-law, Alexander Norris. Cincinnati's meatpacking industry supplied cheap animal fat for both products. Union Army contracts during the Civil War expanded the business, and in 1879 the company introduced Ivory, a white soap later marketed nationally as '99 44/100% pure' and 'it floats', one of the first heavily advertised consumer brands in the United States.

William Procter

Co-founder 1837

Background

William Procter worked in trade and in tallow processing before Procter & Gamble. He ran his own candle business in Ohio in the early 19th century, which gave him practical experience of making a commodity product at scale.

Role at The Procter & Gamble Company

William Procter was an English-born candlemaker who settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, and built a candle-making business there. In 1837, on the advice of his father-in-law, he went into partnership with his brother-in-law James Gamble to form Procter & Gamble. The company developed large-scale manufacturing and won contracts to supply the Union Army during the Civil War, which helped establish it as a national consumer goods business.

William Procter was born in 1801 in Herefordshire.

James Gamble

Co-founder 1837

Background

James Gamble trained as a soap maker and knew the chemistry of processing lye and fats. That knowledge was the basis of Procter & Gamble's first soap products.

Role at The Procter & Gamble Company

James Gamble was an Irish-born soap maker in Cincinnati who joined William Procter in 1837 to form Procter & Gamble. He concentrated on soap formulation and efficient production, and the company later launched Ivory Soap, known for floating in water. His attention to product purity and manufacturing scale shaped the company's early household products.

James Gamble was born in 1803 in Enniskillen. Education: Kenyon College.

Gamble was born on April 3, 1803 and died on April 29, 1891. William Procter, an English candlemaker, was his brother-in-law.

The Procter & Gamble Company: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Shailesh Jejurikar

President and CEO

2026 – Present

Mumbai-born P&G veteran of more than 37 years who previously led Fabric & Home Care and served as Chief Operating Officer. Became President and CEO on January 1, 2026 and was appointed Chairman of the Board after Jon Moeller's retirement from the board on July 31, 2026.

Jon Moeller

Chief Executive Officer; later Executive Chairman

2021 – 2026

As CFO and later CEO, he successfully stabilized P&G's declining revenue by enforcing strict pricing power during severe global inflation.

Andre Schulten

Chief Financial Officer

2021 – Present

As CFO, he maintained the company's industry-leading gross margins and managed the complex financial exit from the Russian market in 2022.

David S. Taylor

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

2015 – 2021

P&G returned to faster organic sales growth and won a 2017 proxy contest that ended with Nelson Peltz joining the board. Jon Moeller succeeded him in November 2021.

Robert A. McDonald

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

2009 – 2013

He began a $10 billion cost-cutting programme in 2012 under pressure from investors and retired in 2013, when A. G. Lafley returned.

A. G. Lafley

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

2000 – 2015

P&G sales roughly doubled in his first term. He returned in 2013 to replace Bob McDonald and began the brand-reduction programme before handing over to David Taylor.

Keep researching Procter & Gamble

Who Founded Procter & Gamble? FAQ

Who founded The Procter & Gamble Company and when was it established?

The Procter & Gamble Company was founded on October 31, 1837, in Cincinnati, Ohio, by two British immigrant brothers-in-law: William Procter (an English candlemaker) and James Gamble (an Irish soapmaker).

How did William Procter and James Gamble meet and decide to become business partners?

William Procter and James Gamble met in Cincinnati after marrying sisters Olivia and Elizabeth Norris. Their father-in-law, Alexander Norris, pointed out that both men competed for the same raw material (animal tallow/fat) to make candles and soap, and persuaded them to combine their savings and form a joint partnership.

What initial capital was invested to start Procter & Gamble in 1837?

William Procter and James Gamble launched their partnership on October 31, 1837, with a combined initial capital investment of $7,192.24, establishing a small storefront and factory in Cincinnati.

How did the American Civil War transform Procter & Gamble into a national leader?

During the Civil War (1861 to 1865), P&G secured exclusive military contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles. Hundreds of thousands of Union soldiers became accustomed to P&G's high-quality, branded products and demanded them from local grocers across the nation after returning home.

Who was James Norris Gamble and how did he invent Ivory Soap in 1879?

In 1879, James Norris Gamble (son of founder James Gamble and a trained chemist) formulated Ivory Soap, a mild, white soap that floated in water due to an accidental whipping process that infused air bubbles into the batch. Marketed with the famous slogan '99 44/100% Pure', Ivory Soap became America's first branded national consumer sensation.

Who was Harley Procter and what was his contribution to modern mass advertising?

Harley Procter (son of founder William Procter) was a marketing clever who named Ivory Soap (inspired by Psalm 45:8) and persuaded the partners to allocate an unprecedented $11,000 to national magazine advertising, pioneering modern consumer brand marketing and scientific purity testing.

How did Cincinnati's nickname 'Porkopolis' support P&G's founding industrial supply chain?

In the 19th century, Cincinnati was the hog-packing capital of the United States ('Porkopolis'). This provided Procter & Gamble with a large, low-cost local supply of animal tallow and lard essential for manufacturing candles, glycerin, and soap.

What core ethical values were established by William Procter and James Gamble?

The founders established a corporate creed centered on uncompromising product integrity, fair dealing with suppliers, and employee welfare, pioneering one of America's first profit-sharing programs for factory workers in 1887 to foster mutual company-worker prosperity.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.