Kimberly-Clark announced the nomination of Sylvia Mathews Burwell for election to its board of directors.

The election will take place at the company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders on April 27, 2022. Current board member Ian Read will be retiring this year.

“We are excited about our plans to add Sylvia to the board,” said Mike Hsu, chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark. “Her diverse senior leadership experience in academia and the public sector, along with her international perspective, will contribute to our board conversations as we execute our growth strategy, and inspire our purpose-led brands working to uplift the lives of millions around the world.”

Burwell has been serving as the president of American University since 2017. Prior to joining American University, was the 22nd U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2014 to 2017. In this role, she managed a $1 trillion department with oversight for the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and the Medicaid and Medicare programs. She served as the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2013 to 2014. Prior to her service in Washington, Burwell was president of Walmart’s charitable foundation focused on ending hunger, and held senior roles at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, leading a program focused on combating world poverty through agricultural development, financial services for the poor, and global libraries. She serves on the board of GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation, a privately-held mutual insurance company.

Hsu added, “I want to thank Ian for his strategic leadership over the years, including his service as our Lead Director from 2017 to 2020, and the invaluable perspectives he brought to the board as a chief executive officer. It has been an honour to serve on the board with Ian, and we appreciate his commitment to our company and our shareholders.”