Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh ’81 BUS has left an indelible mark on global business during her remarkable career at Procter & Gamble, culminating in her retirement as CEO of Family Care and P&G Ventures in October 2021.

Joining Procter & Gamble in 1986, Mary Lynn began as an assistant brand manager for Vicks NyQuil. Her leadership was pivotal in elevating Procter & Gamble’s Family Care division, overseeing iconic brands like Bounty, Charmin, and Puffs, and expanding into new brand categories to drive future growth.

Reflecting on her time at Pacific, Mary Lynn credits her undergraduate education for instilling crucial insights that shaped her strategic approach: "I remember a consumer behavior class which gave me a deep understanding of the need to research what consumers actually do versus what they say they are going to do, and that has been hugely impactful in multiple categories," reflects Mary Lynn.

Throughout her career, Mary Lynn held pivotal roles, including securing over-the-counter rights for the Prilosec brand as global Vice President of Personal Health Care, and leading the restructuring of Procter & Gamble’s European operations from Switzerland as Group President of Europe.

"Pacific prepared me for my career through the breadth of the coursework and the fact that I took a lot of art classes, enabling me to have interactions with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. If you are running a large operation, your ability to navigate multinational environments, and different cultures is critical. I was very helped at Procter and Gamble by my time at Pacific," Mary Lynn acknowledges.

Mary Lynn shares her guiding principles for living:

1. Define who you are, what matters.
2. Make choices and be prepared to live the consequences of those choices.
3. Define what success looks like for you.
4. Refresh, renew and connect.

And in business:

1. Know your business like the palm of your hand.
2. Take a leading role in creating the future.
3. Listen, engage, dialogue.
4. Execute, deliver and be dependable.
5. Build strong teams that will outlast you.
6. Be an inspirational leader vs charismatic leader

Outside of Procter & Gamble, Mary Lynn’s influence extends to board leadership positions, including Molson Coors, Smurfit Kappa Group plc, and FJ Management Inc. Her governance and strategic oversight continues to shape diverse industries, reflecting her breadth of expertise. She has been recognized with a YWCA Career Women of Achievement Award, and was three times listed as a Fortune Magazine Most Powerful Women in Business International.

"Because of my generation and gender, I experienced many things as a 'first:' first woman president of paper, first woman to lead Europe. Which sounds great, but charting new territory was fraught with pitfalls, and I take responsibility for the leaders following behind," Mary Lynn reflects.

Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh exemplifies the values of leadership and innovation nurtured by her alma mater. Her career epitomizes a commitment to excellence and visionary leadership in the corporate world. University of the Pacific celebrates her legacy and looks forward to her ongoing impact on business and society.