RACINE, WI — Alan VanderMolen has been named chief communications officer at SC Johnson, PRovoke Media has learned, taking on the in-house role after departing WE almost 18 months ago. 

As SVP and CCO, VanderMolen reports to SC Johnson chairman CEO Fisk Johnson, and has relocated to the company's global HQ in Racine, Wisconsin. He oversees all of the internal and external communications for the corporation.

He succeeds Kelly Semrau, who departed SC Johnson at the start of 2020 after a decade as SVP of global corporate affairs, communication and sustainability. Semrau, who spent 20 years with the CPG company, is now chairman of the board at the World Environment Center.

VanderMolen resurfaces almost 18 months after his sudden departure from WE, where he spent three years as international president, overseeing the firm's European and Asia-Pacific operations. He joined WE following a 13-year career with SC Johnson's primary PR agency Edelman, where he led significant Asia-Pacific growth before returning to the US in 2011 to take on a number of senior global roles.

Semrau is not the only senior marcomms executive to leave SC Johnson in recent months. Late last year, the company's first-ever CMO Ann Mukherjee departed to become North American CEO at Pernod Ricard.

Best known for such brands as Windex, Ziploc, Mrs Meyers and Pledge, SC Johnson has stepped up its sustainability credentials in recent years, acquiring eco-friendly brands Method and Ecover in 2017, and disclosing the product-specific ingredients of its fragrances. The low-profile, family-owned company is expected to become more visible following VanderMolen's arrival. 

A company representative confirmed the appointment but declined to provide further comment.