Carla Vernón

Carla Vernón is an executive and business leader with a career spanning more than two decades in the consumer packaged goods industry. Vernón has served as board director and chief executive officer of The Honest Company, a personal care company listed on NASDAQ, where she became the first Afro-Latina CEO of a U.S. publicly traded company. Her leadership at The Honest Company reflects the diversity of its consumers and the evolving role of the Honest brand across categories such as baby, cleaning, and beauty, with a focus on eco-friendly ingredients.

Vernón's path to executive leadership includes experience scaling brands and driving business transformation. Before joining The Honest Company, she held various profit and loss leadership roles at General Mills, including corporate officer and operating unit president of the Natural & Organic Division. She contributed to the growth of brands such as Cheerios, Nature Valley, and Lucky Charms, and as division president of the Triple Bottom Line Operating Unit, helped position General Mills as a leading branded maker of natural and organic food in North America and a leader in regenerative agriculture and organic farming. Vernón also served as vice president of consumables categories at Amazon.com, overseeing growth in categories including baby care, household products, food, beverages, health and wellness, and beauty.

At The Honest Company, Vernón has overseen financial and operational improvements, addressing challenges such as slowing sales, increased costs, and inflation-related price adjustments. Under her leadership, the company has strengthened its financial foundation and position in cleanly formulated and purpose-driven personal care, achieving record financial performance. Vernón has spoken about the realities of leadership, emphasizing the value of mentorship and ongoing professional growth.

Vernón's influence extends beyond The Honest Company. She has been appointed to Hasbro's board of directors and serves on the board of trustees for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino. She completed a term as a trustee of Princeton University. Vernón was named to the CNBC Changemakers: Women Transforming Business list, which recognizes women who drive innovation and impact in business. She holds a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton University and an MBA from The University of Texas, McCombs School. Vernón's background in science, consumer expertise, and leadership in sustainability and diversity inform her perspective on brand building, business transformation, and the future of conscious consumerism.