Milestones were marked at the recent Annual Meeting & Industry Convention of the American Cleaning Institute. 

It was the first time in a decade that Melissa Hockstad didn’t preside over the event (the former ACI president and CEO leads the Consumer Brands Association). It was the last time that the annual meeting and industry convention took place at Marriott Grande Lakes, Orlando, FL. Next year, ACI moves to Marriott World Center, also located in Orlando. The reason for the move? Overwhelming popularity. 

The 2025 ACI Annual Meeting & Industry Convention attracted a record 1,366 cleaning industry executives from around the world. Convention Week has become so popular that Grande Lakes can no longer accommodate ACI, so it’s on to Marriott World Center. 

The 2026 ACI Annual Meeting & Industry Convention is scheduled for February 2-6, 2026. It will also mark ACI’s 100th anniversary.

A Year of Challenges

But before the cleaning industry thinks about 2026, there’s still much work to be done in 2025. ACI Chair Eric Reynolds of Clorox, noted the Association faces many challenges, including fragmented regulations, misinformation and global uncertainty.

“At the state level, members face a patchwork on packaging, recycling and chemistry, and it’s driving costs up,” he told attendees in his industry address. “Misinformation gets traction and travels faster than facts. Groups question our safety and efficacy despite years of safety.”

With war, tariff threats and leadership changes, uncertainty is a global norm—but pessimism was unfounded during ACI Convention Week.

“You’d think this week would be somber, but there is a lot of optimism,” he told attendees. “There is incredible opportunity. What will get us through is when we are at our best and have a growth mindset. The only way through this, is through this.”

Korn Ferry To Lead CEO Search

The ACI is searching for a new CEO. The Association recently retained Korn Ferry, a global executive recruitment firm to find Hockstad’s replacement. She left in December 2024 after leading ACI for eight years. An ACI Board of Directors President and CEO Search Committee is guiding ACI’s efforts. The ACI CEO search will be co-led by Lorraine Lavet and Nick Larkin at Korn Ferry. 

Until a permanent replacement is named, Chief Operating Officer Korie Traver and General Counsel Doug Troutman are serving as interim co-CEOs.

“Doug and Korie are long-serving leaders who are stepping up,” observed Reynolds.

While ACI members wait to learn who will be the new CEO, the Association isn’t waiting.

“We are at a pivotal inflection moment. The future demands we be nimbler,” insisted Reynolds. “There will be a new way of working in 2025.”

But the Association will be working with some very familiar faces. Reynolds outlined ACI’s planned engagement with President Donald J. Trump and the 119th Congress. The agenda includes:

• Emphasizing the need for a reliable, efficient new chemicals review process at EPA;
• Delivering pro-business tax policy to maintain critical tax incentives;
• Expanding competitiveness for US-based businesses worldwide;
• Enacting regulatory environment based on sound science; and
• Fostering investment and resources for a thriving manufacturing sector.

To get its message out, ACI mailed letters to the Trump Administration and all 535 members of Congress.

At the state level, ACI is engaging with state legislatures, addressing bills on packaging, recycling, microplastics and chemicals. The Association has reached more than 8,000 state legislators, governors and policy makers, according to Reynolds.

On the regulatory front, ACI is providing technical and scientific information to EPA and state regulators. The Association is focused on ensuring informed decision-making regarding 1,4-dioxane rules. Elsewhere, ACI is presenting data and research to FDA for antibacterial products and chemistries. 

A Science-Backed Agenda

Science remains a cornerstone of ACI. This year, the Association will:

• Publish risk analysis framework for microbial-based cleaning products;
• Showcase risk-based approaches and best science in TSCA chemical risk evaluations;
• Provide expertise on policies affecting quats and VOCs; and
• Complete another liquid laundry packet safety assessment.

The Association said it remains committed to sustainability issues, too. Among its sustainable feedstock initiatives:

• Educate members on Life Cycle Assessments;
• Provide more information on environmental impacts; and
• Help members understand the impact of switching ingredient sources.

Also, this year, ACI will boost its climate efforts by refining advocacy for low carbon materials, focusing on the cleaning product supply chain and engaging the evolving greenhouse gas accounting standards.

None of these efforts occur in a vacuum. Reynolds hailed the communications team, and said ACI will strengthen its presence in the news media via robust engagement with reporters and through social media channels. Policy issue messaging will tighten and highlight innovation and competition. Finally, ACI is increasing strategic partnerships through collaborations with Safe Kids Worldwide and the American Academy of Family Physicians. At the same time, the Association is developing new audiences for outreach.

It’s a full agenda, but Reynolds reminded attendees that the industry isn’t about chemistry, it’s about serving people and improving lives. 

“We make a promise of clean to billions of people. It’s about dignity, safety and opportunity,” he concluded. “Cleaning is our passion and our privilege. We must never stop telling our story. Stay engaged—even with budgets getting slashed. Let’s innovate. Let’s inspire. Let’s grow. There is no limit to what we can achieve.”

Follow the Leadership

Brian Sansoni, SVP-communications, outreach and membership, led a panel discussion with incoming ACI Chair Suzanne Carroll of Nouryon; Rene Garza of Novonesis and Chris Hyder of Clorox. Topics included the consumer, sustainability, the economy and innovation.

Each executive got time to boast about their innovation. For Nouryon, it’s hydrotropes with better sustainability profiles. Formulators want great performance with lower environmental impact, noted Carroll. 

“Sustainability is transforming our sector; the cleaning industry may be the first to reach net zero,” Carroll explained. “There is a great opportunity, but it will require collaboration up and down the value chain.

“We have to get better at educating the consumer about the benefits of our products,” she added.  “ACI can help educate the consumer.”

But consumers aren’t always open to conversations around sustainability.

“Consumers never say the word, ‘sustainable,’” noted Hyder. “They talk about product benefits. They want products that are less wasteful and safer. The challenge for us is how to connect sustainability to consumer benefits.”

Compaction, he added, is one example of a successful connection.

The global economy survived myriad challenges during the past five years. Through it all, the consumer remained resilient. After years of above-average inflation, the push to value will continue, according to Hyder. That means delivering product benefits worth the price. One example? Clorox Foaming Toilet Bomb. It cleans stains, hard water and rust. The unit dose makes it quick and easy to use. But most importantly, Clorox Foaming Toilet Bomb enables consumers to complete the household chore that they hate the most.

What do industry leaders worry about the most? For Carroll, it’s the economy. 

“To deliver innovation requires cash,” she noted. “If the economy stumbles, companies make smaller investments rather than bold moves.”

Garza said supply chain issues keep him up at night. Last year, some Novonesis containers were stuck in China for reasons the company still does not fully understand. As a result, Novonesis is working with local manufacturers, building inventory and looking at global supply chains through a local lens. Garza also asked the question on everyone’s mind: “What will happen with the Trump tariffs?”

Thriving in Uncertain Times

Hyder insisted that supply chain issues are better than they were two or three years ago.

“What we all went through changed the conversation,” he recalled. “In the past customers took service for granted.”

Clorox talks to retailers about its redundancy plan and Hyder said it’s a competitive advantage.

“Super lean and Just-in-Time isn’t the same anymore, you need redundancy,” he added.

Carroll agreed, noting that the past few years helped Nouryon identify the weakest links in its supply chain. The company focused on a new integrated planning process and made sure there is dual sourcing. 

“I am more confident that whatever we see going forward, we are in better shape and we will handle it more gracefully than we did five years ago,” she said.

Grace under pressure is required when working in these uncertain times. Carroll said leaders must encourage employees to collaborate and remain customer-focused to successfully navigate uncertainty. Hyder said resilience is critical.

“I fear big companies are slow, smaller companies are nimbler,” he said. “Big companies must act small.”

Smaller government may actually cause some headaches for ACI members. Garza noted that there will be fewer staff members at key agencies.

“We met with (former) EPA Administrator Michael Reagan last year,” recalled Garza. “He suggested that companies fill in the gaps and lean in more. Like President Kennedy once said, ‘Don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.’”

Or maybe, just ask AI.  “Artificial Intelligence is a huge issue for our industry. You can’t spell ACI without AI,” quipped Sansoni.

Clorox is using AI to target messages to smaller audiences to get maximum return. It’s changing the way people shop online. 

In the AI Age, People Still Matter

For all the technological advances, people still matter. And the most important thing a business leader can do is create new leaders. Sansoni concluded the leadership session by asking the panelists what is the key attribute that business leaders must have to adapt and succeed?

Carroll noted that business acumen, agility and creativity are important.

“But we look to build bench strength. You need a strong team,” she advised, noting that larger companies have trimmed training programs, and the talent pool isn’t as deep as it was in the past.

“Leaders must have succession planning to build a strong bench and be good coaches.”

Garza noted that Abraham Lincoln made tough decisions with little data. Today, everyone has access to data, but is it the right data?

“We are doubling down on providing teams with the tools they need to make decisions,” he said. “We have people who are close to the action make decisions. We are based in Denmark, but we let people outside Denmark, who are closer to the customer, make decisions.”

Despite all the challenges, all three panelists said they are optimistic. 

“Of course, I am optimistic. Volatility is why I am optimistic,” concluded Hyder. “It creates pace of change. Without it, there can only be incremental moves. There will be huge winners in this volatility!”

Nouryon’s Suzanne Carroll Elected ACI Chair, P&G’s Erik Roberts to Serve as Vice Chair
Suzanne Carroll, SVP-consumer and life sciences, Nouryon, is the newly elected chair of the ACI Board of Directors. She is joined by Erik Roberts, SVP-global F&HC purchasing and P&G Chemicals, Procter & Gamble, as ACI vice chair. ACI elected its new officers and four new directors during the 2025 ACI Industry Convention in Orlando, FL. Re-appointed as treasurer was Sean Moriarity, VP&GM-surfactants, Stepan Company. Douglas Troutman, ACI Interim Co-CEO, general counsel and SVP-government affairs, was re-appointed corporate secretary.
New directors elected to the board to fill recent vacancies include Omar Espinosa, SVP-commercial, Sasol; Amita Gupta, VP-home care and industrial & institutional cleaning Americas, BASF; Chris Hyder, EVP and group president, health and hygiene, The Clorox Company and Keyla Lazardi, SVP-hygiene, Reckitt.