• Business Week, Thursday, June 18, 2009 11 AM

Before A.G. Lafley took over as CEO nine years ago, Procter & Gamble was a chemistry company molded in the image of the engineers and scientists who ran it, says "innovation guru" Bruce Nussbaum in a video commentary. Lafley changed all that.

He broke down silos. He designed new products. He upended the culture. And since he is one of the blessed few CEOs worldwide who really understands innovation and design thinking, Nussbaum suggests that President Obama should appoint him Chief Innovation Officer once he gives up his day-to-day responsibilities at P&G.

Nussbaum realizes that Obama has already appointed his share of "chief this officer and chief that officer," most of whom have a facility in technology. And that's all well and good. But "technology is not the same thing as innovation," Nussbaum says, nor is invention. "Innovation applies a social application that benefits people and organizations," and Lafley understands that.

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