Kimberly-Clark CIO: Process Redesign Beats AI Hype

Process first, technology second

Francesco Tinto joined Kimberly-Clark as Chief Information and Global Business Services Officer earlier this year with a clear philosophy: deploying AI without rethinking how work gets done is just automating the wrong processes faster.

"I can optimize the wrong process faster than the human, but I don't think this is really the transformation," Tinto said in an interview first reported by Forbes contributor Peter High.

Tinto oversees both technology and shared services at the $16.5 billion consumer goods company, which operates in 175 countries and owns brands including Kleenex, Huggies, Scott, and Kotex. His dual mandate reflects Kimberly-Clark's belief that sustainable digital transformation requires technical capabilities and operational redesign to advance in lockstep.

Why it matters

As enterprises rush to deploy generative AI and automation, Tinto's approach offers a counterweight to technology-first thinking. His insistence on process redesign, data quality, and workforce readiness before scaling AI highlights why many transformation efforts fail—and what separates cosmetic change from durable competitive advantage in established industries.

Uniting IT and global business services

When Tinto arrived from Advantage Solutions, where he served as Chief Digital and Information Officer, Kimberly-Clark consolidated responsibility for technology and Global Business Services under his leadership. The two organizations remain roughly equal in headcount but now operate against a common roadmap.

Tinto sees the combination as essential for moving toward what he calls "highly automatized" services driven by AI. Rather than layering automation onto manual processes, technical process owners in IT now partner with global process owners in GBS to fundamentally rethink workflows before technology is introduced.

The approach aligns with Kimberly-Clark's Powering Care strategy, launched two years ago around three pillars: out-innovating, out-marketing, and out-activating competitors. "We never think in terms of only reducing cost or only innovation," Tinto explained. "It's really this concept of durable, sustainable growth."

Supply chain as proving ground

Kimberly-Clark has invested years building a data foundation, including an enterprise data lake that harmonizes information across operations. Tinto pointed to supply chain applications as the clearest return on that investment, with AI now applied to raw material sourcing, real-time manufacturing analytics, and predictive maintenance.

Predictive maintenance illustrates the shift from reactive to anticipatory operations. Rather than waiting for equipment failures, the company uses AI to recognize signals that maintenance may soon be necessary, allowing work to be scheduled during planned windows and reducing unplanned downtime.

Building AI literacy, not just access

Tinto emphasized that giving employees access to Copilot, ChatGPT, or similar tools doesn't mean they know how to use them effectively. Kimberly-Clark is focusing on AI literacy across the enterprise, helping employees understand the technology, available data, and responsibilities around intellectual property and governance.

He acknowledged that organizations will inevitably encounter AI scenarios their existing controls fail to anticipate. "It's inevitably a matter of when, not if," he said, meaning governance must evolve dynamically as new capabilities and use cases emerge.

As AI assumes more responsibility for collecting and synthesizing information, Tinto expects employees to spend less time assembling data and more time interpreting it, challenging assumptions, and asking better questions—a shift that requires both technical literacy and redesigned roles.

Tinto came to Kimberly-Clark after leadership roles at Walgreens Boots Alliance and Kraft Heinz. His message across supply chain, consumer engagement, and back-office operations remains consistent: the technology is rarely the hardest part. Creating sustainable value requires the right data, redesigned processes, and people prepared to work differently.

Details of Tinto's approach were first reported by Peter High in Forbes.