Kimberly-Clark Corporation on March 4 announced that Robert N. "Bob" Stargel Jr., vice president of Global Nonwovens, has been named to Savoy Professional magazine's 2010 list of "Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America." The Top 100 listing showcases a cross section of national and international business leaders and executives representing a diverse range of industries who demonstrate leadership and influence within their company and community.
Stargel was honored alongside influential executives such as Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and chief executive officer of American Express; Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox Corporation; Don Thompson, president and chief operating officer of McDonalds Corporation; Ronald Williams, chairman and CEO of Aetna; and Clarence Otis Jr., chairman and CEO of Darden Restaurants.
"We congratulate Bob on receiving this prestigious recognition," said Robert Abernathy, group president, North Atlantic Consumer Products, Kimberly-Clark. "Over the years, Bob has played an integral role in Kimberly-Clark's success. In addition, his community involvement supports our mission to give back to the communities where we live, work and play."
As head of Kimberly-Clark's nonwovens business, Stargel oversees the development, commercialization and supply of materials used to support the company's branded personal health and hygiene products. The business includes seven manufacturing facilities, a centralized research and engineering team, as well as planning, finance and staff manufacturing operations.
Throughout his Kimberly-Clark career, which began in 1984 as an entry-level electrical engineer, Stargel has held various positions including in engineering, research, manufacturing and marketing. Early in his career, Stargel helped to design and start up two new greenfield nonwovens sites. He then went on to lead several first-of-a-kind nonwovens machine designs and rebuilds, including the patented loop material Prism machine and the stretchable ear material Neck Bonded Laminate (NBL) machine.
Outside of Kimberly-Clark, Stargel also lends his time and expertise to a number of organizations. Currently, he serves on the board of trustees of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) Alumni Association in Atlanta and on the board of the Peachtree Regional FIRST Robotics Division. He is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council and is on the finance committee for the Georgia Council of Economics Education.
In 2007, Stargel received the Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) in recognition of his commitment and support to help women succeed in engineering. He was inducted into the Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni for The Georgia Institute of Technology in 1996. Stargel is a Georgia Tech graduate.