The Legacy of Multi-Generational Families at P&G: Meet the Pazos Family

Alejandra Pazos has spent her life restocking supermarket shelves, even though she has never worked in a grocery store.

Her father, Fredy Pazos, is a Commercial Manager for P&G El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. He worked for Gillette for 16 years before the company was acquired by P&G in 2005 and has been with P&G for the past 19 years. As far back as Alejandra can remember, Fredy turned every family trip to the store into a chance to check the Company’s inventory. If a product was low or missing, the family would go with the merchandiser to the back to get more. The family jokes that a simple trip to the grocery took so long that her mother got bored and stopped going. “For me, P&G has ceased to be a job but is a way of life,” said Fredy.

Growing Up in the Company

A sense of pride in his work and loyalty for the Company are things Fredy is passing on to his family. As a second-generation P&Ger, Alejandra, a Senior Brand Manager for Downy Mexico, said, “Since I was born, everything in the house has always been, and still has to be, P&G brands. Now it’s like that in my house as well.”

Alejandra has been with the Company for six years, starting in Product Supply and later transferring to Brand. Her husband works in Product Supply. They have two young children and live in Panama.

Alejandra likes to say, “I have been in the Company more than just six years.” She grew up in stores, understanding why a shelf looks a certain way and going to wholesalers with her dad. She and her siblings even participated in an annual Gillette parade. Knowing the brands from an early age is a strength Alejandra brings to her role.

The Importance of Lifelong Learning

Fredy began at Gillette as a merchandiser and has climbed the ranks to become the Head of Sales for North Central America. He currently resides in Guatemala. In 2019, Fredy was honored with the William Procter Sales Master Award, a global honor recognizing P&G sales leaders who demonstrate unmatched mastery, deliver outstanding business results and excel in developing the capabilities of others. Fewer than 1% of P&G’s sales employees receive the award.

The key, Fredy believes, is to never stop learning. He is most proud not of his own accomplishments but how he has mentored others and enabled them to achieve more.

“It has been a lifetime of learning. I enjoy it very much. And the greatest joy that I have today is all the generations that have been trained as part of my work teams,” he said.

Perhaps her father’s favorite student, Alejandra recalls three recurring pieces of advice:

1. Always do the right thing. “You can deliver the number or not, but you have to do it right,” said Fredy.
2. Earn your place.
3. Learn one new thing every day.

As members of a multi-generational P&G family, Fredy and Alejandra have benefitted from their shared experiences. For Fredy, having children the same age as many of the people who report to him is an important part of better understanding his team. “I believe I have more empathy and credibility with the people who are working for me,” he said.

“From my side, I think I am more open to receiving feedback because I have received it all my life P&G style. It helps me to know that feedback is good, and it means people see potential in me,” said Alejandra.

Looking ahead to the next generation, the family is poised to leave a lasting legacy. Alejandra said, “My oldest son is two and a half, and he says, ‘Mom, I want to work at Procter.’”

Interested in starting your family’s legacy at P&G? Learn more about our careers.

Meet the Sagels

Sagel family gatherings were marked by sharing work stories. “I remember being in the backyard and everybody back there was laughing and talking about their jobs. They really enjoyed what they did, and they enjoyed the people they worked with,” said Leslie (Sagel) Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Research & Development for Baby Care.

Leslie and her brother Paul are third generation Sagels at P&G. Their second cousin Hannah Sagel is a fourth generation. At least 13 bloodline Sagels have worked for P&G, for a combined 325 years of service. Counting in-laws, they have more than 500 years of service.

John Sagel, Leslie and Paul’s great uncle and Hannah’s great-great-uncle, was the first of the family to work for P&G around 1920. His wife also worked for the Company. “Almost every major product line, every billion-dollar brand that we have has had a Sagel touch it in one way or another, whether it's Tide or Bounce or Crest or Head & Shoulders,” said Paul Sagel, Victor Mills Society Research Fellow in Oral Care. Named after the legendary P&G scientist who invented disposable diapers, the Victor Mills Society is an elite fellowship program for P&G engineers and scientists. Learn more about Paul and his fellowship.

A Father’s Wisdom

Their father’s experience influenced Paul and Leslie’s career paths. Starting out as a lab tech in 1968, Paul Sr. took a position as a second shift janitor so he could go to college to pursue his bachelor’s degree to be eligible for leadership positions. He retired from P&G in 2000 as an appointed Research Fellow — a top position in R&D.

Paul Jr. is known as ‘the Whitestrips guy’ for his role as the inventor of Crest Whitestrips. But it was his family’s legacy with P&G that made working at the Company a life aspiration. Paul said, after college, “I had fellowship offers, and I opted to pass on graduate school to go work for P&G. I was that passionate about it.” He has built a 32-year career in Oral Care, reaching the highest level in his field. He remembers his father’s advice, “Bang the cash register,” meaning make sure you bring value every day.

For Leslie, “The reason I wanted to work for P&G was because I could see that my dad truly loved what he did. He got to really create products that changed people’s lives, and he was super excited about it.” Inspired by her father’s dedication and impact, Leslie initially wanted to be a doctor. “But my dad knew me better than I knew myself,” she said. He supported her dreams but encouraged her to pursue an engineering degree first. After her first internship, she fell in love. “The thought of working on consumer products for me has great purpose. At P&G, when you make products like Pampers, you see you really do make a difference in people’s lives,” she said.

From Heirloom Belts to Back Porch Brainstorms

Hannah Sagel, a Brand Director for Head & Shoulders, never met her grandfather Ralph Sr., but his legacy is evident in the belt she wears often. It was his anniversary gift for 30 years of service to P&G. It features the company’s iconic moon and stars logo.

“You can see where he buckled it. The leather is cracked on the third belt loop because he wore it all the time,” said Hannah.

Hannah is six years into her career at P&G. Her dad, Ralph Jr. worked for P&G for 34 years as a packaging engineer in Oral Care.

When she had days off school as a child, Hannah often wandered the halls of the Mason Business & Innovation Center with her dad. He would say, “The work is what you come for and the people are what you stay for.” Today, Hannah and her dad sit on his back porch and share stories about projects or talk through challenges.

A Legacy to Share with Others

Most people don’t come from a P&G family with the advantages of a built-in sounding board and advisor. “That's why I think mentorship is so important, that people have a trusted relationship that they can go to that is a safe space,” said Leslie.

The Sagels use their experience to help others at P&G succeed. “Eighty percent of what I do now is helping people, helping make them as successful as they can be,” Paul said. “And that gives me more pride now than my own personal accomplishments, watching other people succeed.”

“Having this history makes you really motivated to uphold that impact that everyone before you has had,” said Hannah.

Interested in starting your family’s legacy at P&G? Learn more about our careers.

UP NEXT in P&G’s multi-generational family series: Meet the Pazos family in Central America.