Rowland Hanson

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT ROWLAND HANSON

Rowland is CEO of The HMC Company From Neutrogena (the global leader in skincare) to Microsoft Windows (utilized on 90%+ of computers today), Rowland has created brands that build businesses. The HMC Company assists both emerging as well as Fortune 500 companies in maximizing revenue, profitability, and perceived investment value thru global business development and strategic brand building.Prior to consulting, Rowland was Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft, where he created and executed the company\'s highly acclaimed branding strategy which included the market introduction of Microsoft\'s most popular product-a graphical interface that he named \"Windows.\" Several books published on the history of Microsoft document the strategies he executed that led to the dominance of the Microsoft and Windows brands. Prior to Microsoft, Rowland served as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for Neutrogena Corporation, a skin care and cosmetics company that registered phenomenal growth thru new product introductions and global partnering before being acquired by Johnson & Johnson. J&J acquired Neutrogena for a significant premium after determining that, while it could certainly replicate the products, it could not replicate the strength of the Neutrogena brand. It was the successful branding strategies being executed at Neutrogena that captured the attention of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Together, Bill and Steve convinced Rowland that he should leave Neutrogena and help them in their quest to change the world by applying the proven branding strategies to a new emerging industry called software. As the saying goes, the rest is history.Today Rowland is still involved with Microsoft but now as an Emeritus Board Member of the Microsoft Alumni Network & Foundation, an organization he co-founded over 16 years ago.Rowland graduated Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit honors society) with a BBA from Loyola Marymount University and an MBA from Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania) where he graduated on the Directors List of Distinction.