Kimberly-Clark announced the appointment of Zack Hicks in the newly created role of chief digital and technology officer, effective July 26, 2022. He is a member of the company’s executive leadership team.

This role reflects Kimberly-Clark’s increasing focus on digital technology in building brands and creating differentiated capability for the company.

Hicks joins the company after 26 years of leadership at Toyota Motors North America and Toyota Motor Sales, USA, where he held numerous positions of increasing responsibility.

His most recent roles include serving as CEO of Toyota Connected, a startup operating as the company’s data science hub connecting vehicles, customers and businesses through machine learning and artificial intelligence. Hicks also served as chief digital officer of Toyota Motors North America, leading the company’s digital transformation and mobility efforts, including in-vehicle multimedia systems, vehicle connectivity, cloud, electrification and autonomous driving technologies.

“Zack brings to Kimberly-Clark significant experience in technology innovation, operations and team leadership,” says Mike Hsu, chairman and CEO, Kimberly-Clark. “He’s the right leader to help us leverage the full potential of technology to accelerate the next phase of our growth strategy for long-term value creation.”

Among his achievements at Toyota, Hicks led the North American and European development of in-vehicle multimedia, including hardware, software and cloud to achieve best-in-class user experience. He also patented breakthroughs in digital solutions, including an industry-leading big data platform to deliver predictive analytics and relevant retail services.

“Kimberly-Clark has a clear vision for leveraging technology to drive growth,” says Hicks. “I’m excited to work with the team to bring together strong capability and next-generation technology solutions to help the company continue to win today and position us well for the future.”