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Bob Wheeler retired in 2009 as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a wholly owned subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive.
Mr. Wheeler joined Colgate in 1964, and served in positions of increasing responsibility in the U.S. Sales Division. In 1977, he was promoted to Vice President of Sales for Pangburn, Inc., a subsidiary of Riviana Foods, then a Colgate specialty marketing company. He rose to the position of Executive Vice President at Pangburn.
In 1981, Mr. Wheeler was promoted to President, Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Under his leadership, Hill’s has established global leadership in the specialty pet food market with innovative products than enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets.
Mr. Wheeler was named a Colgate Vice President in 1987, and was elected a Corporate Officer in 1992. He was promoted to his current position in 1996.
Mr. Wheeler is an active member of the Topeka, Kansas community. He is the vice-chair of the Board of Directors of Stormont-Vail Health Services Corporation and a Trustee of the Stormont-Vail Medical Center. He is the Lead Director of Collective Brands Board of Directors.
Mr. Wheeler has also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Security Benefit Group of Companies and as Chairman for the Pet Food Institute. He is a former Vice Chairman of the Development Council of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, and was previously a Trustee and past President for the Topeka Zoological Foundation. He was also an Executive Board Member and Treasurer for the Jayhawk Area Council Boy Scouts of America, and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Topeka United Way.
In 1987, Rotary International presented Mr. Wheeler with the Paul Harris Fellow Award, honoring him as an outstanding Rotarian and businessman. He was honored in 2000 as the Governor’s Citizen of Distinction. In 2005, Mr. Wheeler was inducted into the Topeka Business Hall of Fame. In 2006 he was presented the Ad Astra Award from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Wheeler was born in Charles City, Iowa, in 1941. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Iowa in 1964. He and his wife, Opal, now reside in Topeka, Kansas. They have three adult children. |
