Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG) announced the retirement of Charlotte Otto, 55, after 33 years of service to the company, the last 13 as global external relations officer.

Christopher Hassall, 55, moves in to her spot from his post as North American VP, corporate communications & reputation.

P&G owns just about every household brand you can think of, Crest, Gillette, Dawn, Pampers, Ivory, Tampax, Vicks, Mr. Clean, etc etc etc.

Otto is a fixture in high-level corporate comm as the description of her in PRWeek's 2007 influencer rankings shows (she was 3rd), "she oversees PR for 22 billion-dollar brands. She is a thought leader who helped give every PR pro the ammunition needed to walk into the C-suite and say, 'PR is as effective as advertising, and I can prove it.'"

Under her watch, research was done at P&G to show that PR could be measured, and that it is actually equally or more effective than advertising. She's also an Arthur Page Society Hall of Famer, which is like being the top Stonecutter in this business.

Hassall brings international experience to the job, with brand work in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He built cause programs in China including the P&G Hope Schools, and personally led P&G's relief program following the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake.