Stories from our people: Jessica Birnbaum

Get to know Jessica Birnbaum, director of sales for the Purell consumer business. In this role, she leads retail go-to-market strategy and helps shape the multi-year innovation roadmap driving the next phase of growth for Clorox’s newly acquired Purell portfolio.

“Purell is an exciting business to be a part of because it combines the strength of an iconic, trusted brand with significant opportunities for future growth,” she says. “The personal care category is evolving quickly, creating new ways to innovate and meet consumers’ changing needs. I’m energized by the opportunity to help shape the next chapter of growth for Purell and expand the brand’s role in everyday wellness.”

Jessica started her Clorox career on the ground floor. “I was a chemical engineering student, and when I came in as an intern, it felt like summer camp. I was working as a scientist for the first time. When they gave me the full-time offer, how could I say no? I was getting to do all the things I wanted to be working on, things I was actually interested in that I would’ve done on my own. Getting paid to do it was a bonus.”

Despite being at the company for more than a decade, Jessica’s enthusiasm hasn’t waned. “There are things that I’m naturally curious about that I want to learn more about within my role,” she says. “We say it’s ‘eating our vegetables’ when we have to do the parts of our job we don’t like as much, but I hardly ever feel like I’m eating my vegetables.”