Procter & Gamble vs Volkswagen: Founders, CEOs and History
Procter & Gamble was founded in 1837 by William Procter, James Gamble and is led by Shailesh Jejurikar. Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by Ferdinand Porsche and is led by Oliver Blume.
Company facts
Procter & Gamble
- Founded
- 1837
- Headquarters
- Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Current CEO
- Shailesh Jejurikar
- Employees
- 109,000
Volkswagen
- Founded
- 1937
- Headquarters
- Wolfsburg, Germany
- Current CEO
- Oliver Blume
- Employees
- 663,000
Founders
Procter & Gamble
William Procter
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.
James Gamble
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.
Volkswagen
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) was an Austrian-born automotive engineer who had worked for Lohner, Austro-Daimler and Daimler-Benz before opening his own design office in Stuttgart in 1931.
CEOs and their tenures
Procter & Gamble
- Jon Moeller2021–2026
Chief Executive Officer; later Executive Chairman
As CFO and later CEO, he successfully stabilized P&G's declining revenue by enforcing strict pricing power during severe global inflation.
Source - Andre Schulten2021–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he maintained the company's industry-leading gross margins and managed the complex financial exit from the Russian market in 2022.
Source - Shailesh Jejurikar2026–present
President and CEO
Mumbai-born P&G veteran of more than 37 years who previously led Fabric & Home Care and served as Chief Operating Officer.
Source
Volkswagen
- Hermann Münch1946–1947
Chief Executive Officer
Early executive involved in the incredibly complex immediate post-war administration of the completely destroyed factory under British military control.
Source - Heinrich Nordhoff1948–1968
Chief Executive Officer
The absolute legendary post-war architect who took the ruins of the VW factory and transformed the Beetle into a massive, globally beloved cultural icon and economic miracle.
Source - Kurt Lotz1968–1971
Chief Executive Officer
Early post-war leader who began the critical process of diversifying VW's lineup beyond relying entirely on a single model (the Beetle).
Source - Rudolf Leiding1971–1975
Chief Executive Officer
Crucial CEO who managed the extremely difficult, highly risky transition away from the iconic but severely outdated Beetle toward modern, front-wheel-drive water-cooled cars (like the Golf).
Source - Toni Schmücker1975–1982
Chief Executive Officer
Guided the company through the severe financial crises of the 1970s, ensuring the successful launch and massive adoption of the original VW Golf.
Source - Carl Hahn1982–1993
Chief Executive Officer
As CEO in the 1980s, he executed the massive, highly strategic acquisitions of SEAT and Skoda, laying the foundation for VW's absolute dominance in Europe.
Source - Ferdinand Piëch1993–2002
Chief Executive Officer
As the legendary, absolutely ruthless patriarch (and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche), he transformed VW from a struggling mass-market brand into the most powerful automotive conglomerate on Earth.
Source - Bernd Pischetsrieder2002–2006
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2002 to 2006, he oversaw the incredibly complex integration of massive luxury brands like Bugatti and Bentley into the VW Group portfolio.
Source - Martin Winterkorn2007–2015
Chief Executive Officer
As the notoriously demanding, absolutely feared CEO, he oversaw massive global expansion but fostered a culture of absolute terror that led engineers to cheat rather than admit failure.
Source - Matthias Müller2015–2018
Chief Executive Officer
As CEO during the darkest period in modern VW history, he initiated the massive cultural purge of the toxic, highly secretive engineering culture that caused the cheating scandal.
Source - Herbert Diess2018–2022
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO, he forcefully dragged the massive, highly bureaucratic legacy automaker into the Tesla era, though his abrasive style alienated the powerful Porsche-Piëch families.
Source - Oliver Blume2022–present
Chairman of the Board of Management
He also ran Porsche AG alongside the group role until Michael Leiters took over as Porsche CEO on January 1, 2026, leaving Blume focused on Volkswagen Group.
Source
Timeline: Procter & Gamble and Volkswagen side by side
1837Procter & Gamble
Company Founded in Cincinnati
William Procter and James Gamble sign a partnership agreement on October 31, 1837, establishing Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, with combined capital of approximately 7,192 dollars.
1862Procter & Gamble
Civil War Army Contracts Fuel Expansion
P&G wins contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles, generating significant revenue that enables manufacturing expansion and introduces millions of American soldiers to P&G products for the first time.
1882Procter & Gamble
Ivory Soap Launches Nationally
Harley Procter and James Norris Gamble introduce Ivory soap, promoted as 99 and 44/100 percent pure and notable for its floating characteristic.
1890Procter & Gamble
Company Incorporates and Expands Nationally
Procter & Gamble incorporates in Ohio with capital of 4.5 million dollars and begins building manufacturing capacity outside Cincinnati, establishing the operational infrastructure for national distribution that the Ivory soap advertising campaign had created…
1911Procter & Gamble
Crisco Shortening Introduced
P&G launches Crisco vegetable shortening, the first hydrogenated vegetable oil product marketed to American consumers as an alternative to lard and butter.
1931Procter & Gamble
Brand Management System Invented
P&G executive Neil McElroy writes a famous internal memo proposing that each brand have its own dedicated management team responsible for competing against all rivals including other P&G brands.
1937Volkswagen
Volkswagen founded
Volkswagen was founded under the German Labour Front as part of a state-directed people's car program.
1945Volkswagen
Wolfsburg restarted
British military administration helped restart peacetime production at Wolfsburg after World War II.
1946Procter & Gamble
Tide Detergent Launches
P&G introduces Tide synthetic detergent, which rapidly becomes the best-selling laundry product in the United States and establishes the template for all future P&G brand development: superior product performance, heavy consumer advertising, and sustained mark…
1961Procter & Gamble
Pampers Diapers Introduced
P&G introduces Pampers disposable diapers, transforming the infant care category and creating what will become one of the company's most globally significant brands.
1965Volkswagen
Audi foundation added
Volkswagen acquired Auto Union from Daimler-Benz, creating the foundation for modern Audi.
1974Volkswagen
Golf production begins
The Golf gave Volkswagen a modern front-engine, front-wheel-drive compact platform after the Beetle era.
2005Procter & Gamble
Gillette Acquired for 57 Billion Dollars
P&G completes the acquisition of Gillette Company for approximately 57 billion dollars in an all-stock transaction, adding Gillette razors, Braun appliances, Oral-B dental products, and Duracell batteries to the P&G portfolio.
2012Volkswagen
Porsche consolidated
Porsche became a controlled sport-luxury profit anchor within Volkswagen Group.
2014Procter & Gamble
Portfolio Transformation Announced
CEO A.G. Lafley announces P&G's plan to divest more than 100 brands and focus the company on approximately 80 core brands in ten product categories.
2015Volkswagen
Matthias Müller becomes CEO
Matthias Müller became CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2015. Chief executive of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft from 2015 to 2018.
2015Volkswagen
Emissions Scandal
US regulators accused Volkswagen in September 2015 of fitting diesel cars with software that cheated emissions tests.
2018Volkswagen
Herbert Diess becomes CEO
Herbert Diess became CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2018. Chief executive of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft from 2018 to 2022.
2019Procter & Gamble
Portfolio Simplification Completed
P&G completes the brand portfolio simplification, having divested more than 100 brands and consolidated around approximately 65 core brands.
2022Volkswagen
Oliver Blume becomes chairman
Oliver Blume became chairman of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2022. He also ran Porsche AG alongside the group role until Michael Leiters took over as Porsche CEO on January 1, 2026, leaving Blume focused on Volkswagen Group.
2024Procter & Gamble
Fiscal Year 2024 Net Sales Reach Approximately 84 Billion Dollars
P&G reports fiscal year 2024 net sales of $84.0 billion and net earnings attributable to P&G of about $14.9 billion, and raises its quarterly dividend 7% to $1.0065 per share, its 68th consecutive annual increase.
2024Volkswagen
Rivian software joint venture
Volkswagen and Rivian launched a software joint venture targeting next-generation electrical architecture.
2025Volkswagen
Revenue reaches ~$364B (EUR321.9B)
Volkswagen reported ~$364 billion (EUR321.9 billion) in sales revenue, ~$10.1 billion (EUR8.9 billion) in operating result, and 8.984 million deliveries.
Acquisitions
Procter & Gamble
- Gillette2005$57B
- Gillette2005Undisclosed
- Richardson-Vicks1985$1.2B
Volkswagen
- Porsche AG2012Undisclosed
- Bentley Motors1998Undisclosed
- Auto Union / Audi1965Undisclosed
Questions about Procter & Gamble vs Volkswagen
Who is the CEO of The Procter & Gamble Company and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
The Procter & Gamble Company is led by Shailesh Jejurikar and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is led by Oliver Blume. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was The Procter & Gamble Company founded vs Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
The Procter & Gamble Company was founded in 1837 — 100 years before Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, which was founded in 1937. The Procter & Gamble Company's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft.
How many employees does The Procter & Gamble Company have compared to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
The Procter & Gamble Company employs approximately 109,000 people, while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft employs approximately 663,000. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft has the larger workforce at 663,000 employees, compared to The Procter & Gamble Company's 109,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are The Procter & Gamble Company and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft headquartered?
The Procter & Gamble Company is headquartered in United States and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded The Procter & Gamble Company and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
The Procter & Gamble Company was founded by William Procter, James Gamble. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft was founded by Ferdinand Porsche.
Which company has a longer operating history — The Procter & Gamble Company or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
The Procter & Gamble Company has been operating for approximately 189 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft has been in operation for around 89 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Procter & Gamble vs Volkswagen overview