In 1986, a systems analyst working for Colgate-Palmolive in Zambia recognized a problem. The local computer network suffered from major data bottlenecks that delayed inventory assessments, local distribution and sales reporting. So he took it upon himself to rewrite and optimize a critical piece of code that drastically slashed processing times and allowed the Zambian team to fulfill orders with unprecedented speed.

The systems analyst, Herbert H. Haamucenje, became one of the first global award winners of the Chairman’s You Can Make a Difference Award (YCMAD) in 1986. Then-Chairman and CEO ⁠Reuben Mark established the peer-nominated program to recognize employees who achieve breakthrough improvements that drive the business forward and create positive change.

Mark founded the program based on a simple, but transformative idea — that any person working at Colgate-Palmolive, at any level, in any market, could do something that mattered enormously to the business. He was right. The many successes recognized by YCMAD — a program now celebrating its 40th year — prove that great operational ideas can come from any corner of the globe.

Many of the process improvements, product innovations and creative solutions recognized with YCMAD awards have become global best practices at Colgate-Palmolive. The program’s legacy of identifying and uplifting transformative innovations has shaped Colgate-Palmolive into a company built on the best ideas of its people. 

“For 40 years, the program has enabled thousands of Colgate-Palmolive employees to make a difference, turning challenges into opportunities and ideas into global realities,” says Mitali Chopra, Internal Communications & YCMAD Global Chairperson. “This milestone isn't just about celebrating this incredible legacy — we are looking forward to the next wave of innovation that will shape our future.”

What Is the You Can Make a Difference Award Program?

Colgate-Palmolive’s You Can Make a Difference Award Program is the company’s highest recognition of individual and team excellence, honoring people across all divisions and functions for their outstanding achievements. Now in its 40th year, the YCMAD program has recognized thousands of honorees for contributions that drive the success of the business, enhance work processes and help the communities served by Colgate-Palmolive around the globe. In the spirit of recognizing the people who drive Colgate-Palmolive’s success, the teams considered for the honors are nominated by their peers. Historically, winning projects have spanned public health, digital commerce, brand identity, sustainability and data science.

One team, honored with a YCMAD award in 2022, developed a fully operational, mobile toothpaste-filling line that fits in a standard shipping container while maintaining high-quality standards. The “factory-in-a-box,” which was quickly deployed in Nairobi, Kenya, unlocked new growth opportunities for Colgate-Palmolive in the region while opening the door for similar concepts that may help drive growth through agility, efficiency and resiliency in other countries and categories.

In 2021, a team of three developed Colgate-Palmolive's first renewable energy master plan as a part of Colgate’s 2025 strategy — this plan is still implemented across all CP sites today. And in 2024, a team from CP Philippines scaled up the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® program (BSBF) — which was established in 1991 to support children's oral health around the world — by effectively addressing the pervasive issue of cavities in the Philippines. In all of these extraordinary projects, team members exhibited what it means to be caring, inclusive and courageous CP People. 

“The power of the global program has been the way it helps spread great ideas,” says Ian Cook, former Chairman and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive from 2009 until 2019. “Especially as global business processes became more aligned, it really helped turn new ideas and novel solutions into best practices.”

Colgate-Palmolive Recognizes and Celebrates 40 Years of Employee Excellence

Colgate-Palmolive’s You Can Make a Difference Award Program marked its 40th anniversary this year by honoring 41 global winners across six teams and five continents for innovations in 2025. There were nearly 2,000 nominated teams involving approximately 10,000 Colgate-Palmolive employees across all divisions and functions.

One winning team focused on children’s oral health honored a first-of-its-kind, five-year public-private partnership with the U.K. government and the National Health Service (NHS), addressing a public health crisis. In England alone, tooth decay remains the single most common reason children aged 5 to 9 are admitted to the hospital. The new partnership, which aims to reach 600,000 children annually, includes innovative initiatives like direct training for educators to run supervised toothbrushing programs. The initiative is an extension of the work the company is already doing through the BSBF program. 

Another of this year’s winning teams was responsible for imagining the future of Colgate-Palmolive with a brand refresh, including the new tagline, “Make More Smiles.” The two-and-a-half-year initiative resulted in a 98 percent internal pride rating and strong external sentiment at launch, fostering a collective sense of renewed commitment to Colgate-Palmolive’s purpose. The brand refresh also led to a boundary breaking logo flip post on LinkedIn, breaking previous engagement records by 171%. 

How Colgate-Palmolive Celebrated YCMAD’s 40th Anniversary

To mark the 40th anniversary, this year’s honorees visited the New York Stock Exchange to ring the Opening Bell alongside three generations of company leadership, including the program’s founder, former CEO Reuben Mark, as well as former President, Chairman and CEO Ian Cook, and the current holder of that office, Noel Wallace.

“A lot of companies just have values that are words on paper,” says Kyle Young, whose team won for a relaunch of its Protex soap brand in South Africa, “but Colgate-Palmolive really lives out those values day-to-day.” Winners who were recognized this year were especially delighted to celebrate alongside the other inspiring teams, and to share the experience with family, many of whom traveled to New York City to mark the occasion. The celebration was capped off with a spirited evening at the Rainbow Room, where the winning teams were awarded with medallions during an elegant awards ceremony.

“Every year, I marvel at the sense of ownership and empowerment our honorees have demonstrated in earning this recognition,” Wallace says. “CP’s future is in very capable hands.”